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Home » Life » This Article

  • Said Home Saved 16

    Al Said hoses down flames behind his home on Country Club Drive.
  • Said Home Saved 15

    San Marcos firefighters put out remaining flames behind Al Said's house.
  • Said Home Saved 14

    San Marcos firefighters put out blaze behind Al Said's house.
  • Said Home Saved 13

    Al Said carries photos and important papers to his car for possible evacuation.
  • Said Home Saved 12

    Firefighter talks to Al Said as the home behind his burns.
  • Said Home Saved 11

    Flames engulf neighbor's back yard in rural western Escondido.
  • Said Home Saved 10

    Two fire engines were parked in Al Said's driveway.
  • Said Home Saved 9

    Al Said photographs the blaze in his neighbor's yard as flames spread near his fence.
  • Said Home Saved 8

    Al Said waters down his roof in effort to protect his house.
  • Said Home Saved 7

    Al Said climbs ladder to water down his roof as firefighters plot how to save home.
  • Said Home Saved 6

    Al Said uses a garden hose to help put out flames threatening his home.
  • Said Home Saved 4

    Al Said uses garden hose to help protect his home.
  • Said Home Saved 2

    Al Said waits nervously as strong winds push blaze into his neighbor's yard.
  • Said Home Saved 1

    Award winner: Firefighter assures Al Said his team will do its best to save his home on Country Club Drive during San Marcos fires of May 2014. Photo by Chris Stone
  • Flames in West Escondido

    The Cocos Fire burns in west Escondido. Photo by Chris Stone
  • Said Home Saved 21

    Share This Article:Support Times of San Diego's growthwith a small monthly contribution Become a supporter Said Home Saved 21 was last modified: May 15th, 2014 by Ken Stone>> Subscribe to Times of San Diego’s free daily email newsletter! Click hereFollow…
  • Said Home Saved 22

    Share This Article:Support Times of San Diego's growthwith a small monthly contribution Become a supporter Said Home Saved 22 was last modified: May 15th, 2014 by Ken Stone>> Subscribe to Times of San Diego’s free daily email newsletter! Click hereFollow…
  • Said Home Saved 23

    Share This Article:Support Times of San Diego's growthwith a small monthly contribution Become a supporter Said Home Saved 23 was last modified: May 15th, 2014 by Ken Stone>> Subscribe to Times of San Diego’s free daily email newsletter! Click hereFollow…

Firefighters Make a Stand, Avert Homeowner’s ‘World Coming to an End’

Posted by Ken Stone on May 16, 2014 in Life | 687 Views
| 0 Comments | Leave a Comment
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Story and photos by Chris Stone

Horseshoes hung upside down on a fence at Al Said’s Arabian horse center in rural Escondido, but he hadn’t run out of luck Thursday.

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Said nervously paced in front of his home since 1988 and made phone calls as towering flames consumed his neighbor’s house behind his. He had evacuated his horses the night before.

It was the second day of the Cocos wildfire that spread erratically in the shifting winds in the hills south of state Route 78.

A fireman shook Said’s hand and told him crew would try to save his home.


About 45 minutes earlier, Said placed photos, important documents and momentoes into the trunk of his car as fire engines convoyed down Country Club Drive, the winds pushing flames toward his house.

Now two fire engines were parked in his driveway as firefighters kept the flames from advancing.

Said grabbed a garden hose and began watering his front yard, his roof and later his back yard as the blaze subsided.

Said continued to use his hose on the neighboring blaze as firefighters moved on to the next hot spot down the road. While firefighters told Said the blaze would burn itself out, he said he wasn’t sure he was out of the woods yet.

Minutes later, San Marcos firemen pulled up and doused flames.

He hadn’t been sure he was going to stay with his house, after sheriff’s deputies announced mandatory evacuations, but he decided to try to help fire crews. His backyard neighbor had left Wednesday, another neighbor said.

Once the blaze was dampened, Said commented that he was grateful for the firefighters’ actions. But he admitted that in the beginning, “It looked like the world was coming to an end.”

Al Said carries photos and important papers to his car for possible evacuation.
Al Said waits nervously as strong winds push blaze into his neighbor’s yard.
Al Said uses garden hose to help protect his home.
Al Said uses a garden hose to help put out flames threatening his home.
Al Said climbs ladder to water down his roof as firefighters plot how to save home.
Al Said waters down his roof in effort to protect his house.
Al Said photographs the blaze in his neighbor’s yard as flames spread near his fence.
Two fire engines were parked in Al Said’s driveway.
Flames engulf neighbor’s back yard in rural western Escondido.
Firefighter talks to Al Said as the home behind his burns.
San Marcos firefighters put out blaze behind Al Said’s house.
San Marcos firefighters put out remaining flames behind Al Said’s house.
Al Said hoses down flames behind his home on Country Club Drive.
Award winner: Firefighter assures Al Said his team will do its best to save his home on Country Club Drive during San Marcos fires of May 2014. Photo by Chris Stone
Firefighters Make a Stand, Avert Homeowner’s ‘World Coming to an End’ was last modified: May 16th, 2014 by Ken Stone

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Posted in Life | Tagged Al Said, Cocos Fire, Country Club Drive, Escondido, Saving a home

One Response

  1. California fires: 10 large-scale blazes rage; winds may decrease today – Los Angeles Times | Newssplash.net
    California fires: 10 large-scale blazes rage; winds may decrease today – Los Angeles Times | Newssplash.net May 16, 2014 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    […] Times of San Diego […]

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