San Diego Fire Ignited by Arson, Officials Say : State Declares Emergency After 64 Houses Destroyed, 20 Damaged in Normal Heights

SAN DIEGO —  The most destructive blaze in San Diego’s history--a fire that in the final accounting destroyed or damaged more than 100 homes and other structures in the quiet, middle-class neighborhood of Normal Heights--was ignited by an act of arson, authorities said Monday.

“The cause was incendiary . . . It was set,” said Roger Phillips, chief of the San Diego Fire Department. “We have no suspects, though.”

Investigators found evidence at the point of the fire’s origin that the blaze was set, Phillips said. But he declined to reveal the nature of the evidence because of the continuing investigation.

On another day of record-breaking heat, victims of the Normal Heights fire began to rebuild their lives Monday, and authorities warned of the danger of more blazes.

Questions on Tankers

While officials praised the help of firefighters from five counties, the state and the Navy, questions were raised about the five-hour delay on a request from the California Department of Forestry for air tankers.

Authorities also updated the damage report from the night before: The number of homes destroyed climbed from 47 to 64. Twenty more homes were considered damaged but salvageable. In addition, 18 outbuildings, such as sheds and detached garages, were razed.

Gov. George Deukmejian, responding to the urgings of several San Diego political leaders, declared a state of emergency in San Diego County in response to the Normal Heights blaze and the major rural brush fire near Jamul that has burned nearly 12,000 acres and destroyed three homes.

But Deukmejian said he was holding off asking President Reagan to declare a corresponding national emergency until city and county officials in San Diego prepare a detailed damage assessment. A presidential declaration will pave the way for federal assistance, such as grants, low-interest loans and temporary housing.

There was no loss of life, and all injuries--smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion, chest pains and eye irritation--were described as minor. Eighteen firefighters were treated at area hospitals, including two who remained overnight and were released today. Several residents were also treated for minor injuries at first aid stations.

200 Homeless

About 200 people were left homeless by the blaze. Red Cross officials operating an evacuation center at Normal Heights United Methodist Church said most families were staying with relatives and friends, but 18 families had accepted donations of lodging from the Town & Country and the Inter-Continental hotels. For many of the victims, insurance is expected to help compensate for their losses.

Red Cross officials said the fire victims no longer need donations of food and clothing but are in need of cash. As of Monday afternoon, cash donations had totaled $170, relief workers said.

Fire officials estimated the damage to structures at $8.5 million. But officials said that estimate does not account for the value of furniture, cars, clothing and irreplaceable memorabilia lost to the flames.

Abraham P. Nasatir, a San Diego State University historian, lost as many as half a million historical documents accumulated over 50 years--letters and other correspondence from French, Spanish and British archives that pertain to early California history.

Investigators pinpointed the origin of the Normal Heights blaze as a spot two-tenths of a mile east of Lehr’s Greenhouse restaurant, in the brush south of Camino Del Rio South. The fire was ignited shortly before noon and quickly climbed the canyon wall toward Litchfield Drive, fanning out to the east and south.

By the time firefighters responded to an 11:54 a.m. call, flames had swept into several houses, authorities said. Pushed by a changing breeze--and generating its own wind by the intensity of the fire--the flames moved swiftly, jumping from house to house and canyon to canyon.

The old homes in Normal Heights, some of which were built in the 1920s and 1930s, burned quickly, authorities said.

Water pressure fell as fire hoses were connected to hydrants and residents turned on garden hoses, against the urgings of firefighters.

The fire consumed about 300 acres.

Phillips said the first call to state forestry for air drops was made a short time after noon. Forestry officials said they received their first call for air drops at the Normal Heights blaze at 12:59 p.m.

The tankers, flying down from a fire in Ventura County, did not arrive until about 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, Phillips said, as the homes in Normal Heights were burning, other aerial tankers were dumping retardants on a major brush fire near Jamul only minutes away by air--even though the risk of property damage was much less. San Diego fire officials made repeated calls for assistance, the fire chief said.

“We made several calls, sure,” Phillips said. There was “a high level of frustration.”

Phillips said the blaze was moving so swiftly that even an earlier arrival by the the air tankers would not necessarily have spared some homes. But, he added, “They would have helped. They certainly would have helped.”

As it was, the tankers ultimately played a crucial role in controlling the blaze by dropping six loads of fire retardant at the decisive line of defense--a region running from the tip of Cromwell Court down the slope of the canyon to Camino Del Rio South.

As nightfall neared, firefighters battled with hoses connected at both the top of the plateau and the base in Mission Valley, Phillips said. Firefighters continued to drench hot spots into the night and all day Monday. An engine company kept watch late Monday on a small fire burning in the brush between Camino del Rio South and Wilshire Drive.

Police reported few problems in securing the area. There were no official reports of looting. Two people were arrested after they refused to leave the area secured by police.

As temperatures Monday soared above 100 degrees in many parts of the county, officials warned of the threat of more blazes--especially with the presence of illegal fireworks for Fourth of July celebrations.

“There are numerous areas in the city that have the same potential” for a blaze similar to the Normal Heights conflagration, Phillips said. He said four or five special two-man units have begun to patrol the city, writing citations and seizing fireworks. All fireworks are illegal in San Diego County, including so-called “safe and sane” brands.

Phillips and other city officials urged that residents take precautions against the danger of fire.

In a morning press conference, Mayor Roger Hedgecock said, “I’m sure if I had a home on a canyon I’d be out there today clearing away the brush and wetting down the canyon.”

Times staff writers Glenn F. Bunting, Kenneth F. Bunting, Kathleen H. Cooley, David Freed, Tom Greeley, Adam Z. Horvath, Lanie Jones, Michele L. Norris, Lorena Oropeza, Nancy Reed and Daniel M. Weintraub contributed to this story.