The Harris Fire was a major wildfire in southern San Diego County, California , that began on October 21, 2007, which burned 90,440 acres (366.0 km) before it was contained on November 5. Hotspots persisted until the fire was extinguished on November 16, making the Harris Fire the last of the October 2007 California wildfires to be extinguished. As the Harris Fire burned, it traveled in a northwest direction from its starting point at Harris Ranch Road in the town of Potrero, located in the far south of San Diego County, near Tecate , Mexico. The wildfire was the second-largest one of the October 2007 California wildfires, behind only the Witch Fire . The cause of the Harris Fire is unknown. The Harris Fire was the deadliest one of the October 2007 wildfires, killing eight people.
8-556: At 9:23 AM PDT on October 21, 2007, the Harris Fire ignited in Potrero , southeastern San Diego County, near the Mexican border. On October 23, the fire approached eastern Chula Vista . The fire resulted in the evacuation of some nearby communities, with evacuation centers set up at a nearby high school and a community center. Thomas James Varshock, 52, of Potrero, died on his property during
16-588: The 2010 census . State Route 94 connects Potrero by road west to San Diego and east to Campo . Potrero is Spanish for 'pasture land'. Its closest neighbor is Tecate , Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP covers an area of 3.1 square miles (8.2 km ), all of it land. At the 2010 census Potrero had a population of 656. The population density was 208.3 inhabitants per square mile (80.4/km ). The racial makeup of Potrero
24-507: The Harris Fire on Sunday. His teenage son suffered burn injuries, along with four firefighters of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, who had attempted to rescue them. The fire may also have led to the deaths of four illegal migrants near the U.S.–Mexico border . An estimated 1,210 firefighters battled this fire. The Harris Fire also burned into northern Mexico, near the city of Tecate . On November 5, 2007,
32-469: The Harris Fire was 100% contained. Hotspots persisted within the perimeter of the fire until November 16, when the last hotspot was finally extinguished. Potrero, California Potrero ( Spanish for "Pasture") is a census-designated place in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California . The population was 648 at the 2020 United States census , down from 656 at
40-414: The age of 18 living in them, 95 (50.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 31 (16.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 18 (9.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . Thirty-seven households (19.6%) were one person and 17 (9.0%) had someone living alone who
48-468: The occupied units 113 (59.8%) were owner-occupied and 76 (40.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.3%. Of the population 379 people (57.8%) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 277 people (42.2%) lived in rental housing units. In 2007, Blackwater USA submitted plans to build a weapons training facility in Potrero. The plans generated substantial controversy in
56-433: Was 338 (51.5%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 8 (1.2%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 3 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 281 (42.8%) from other races, and 26 (4.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 499 people (76.1%). The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized. There were 189 households, 92 (48.7%) had children under
64-566: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.47. There were 135 families (71.4% of households); the average family size was 4.11. The age distribution was 217 people (33.1%) under the age of 18, 60 people (9.1%) aged 18 to 24, 155 people (23.6%) aged 25 to 44, 156 people (23.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 68 people (10.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males. There were 208 housing units at an average density of 66.1 per square mile, of
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