Eagle Fire Torches Land Leased as Military Training Ground

The on Los Coyotes Indian Reservation near Warner Springs has consumed at least 1,100 acres as of 1 p.m. Friday.

The torched area includes property leased by the Los Coyotes tribe to a private company called ERTC, formerly known as Eagle Rock Training Center, according to Eagle Rock founder Brian Bonfiglio. In an interview with Patch, he said the guard shack on the leased land has been consumed by the fire. He said it was not staffed when the fire started last night but is usually staffed during the day.

Cal Fire earlier reported that the fire began at about 10:40 p.m. Thursday. The cause is under investigation.

The leased land is in an area that is not open to the public, east of the Los Coyotes campground on the reservation.

"The ERTC land is not a training facility," Bonfiglio told Patch. "It is a land lease used by the military or government when they need to augment their training and do not have a location, such as Camp Pendleton, available to them for whatever reason, such as shortage of staffing."

The fire is in an extremely remote location in northeastern San Diego county between Warner Springs off state Route 79 and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Firefighters from throughout northern San Diego county as well as Riverside and San Bernardino counties are responding, including volunteer and correctional facility crews.

Click here to see a video tour of Eagle Rock Training Center done by Channel 8 TV in May 2011.

Patch will bring updates to this story throughout the day.