Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Air toxins plague Escondido, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, Tijuana

"The smell has improved since Mexico turned their pumps on"

The Tesla driver in Tijuana connected it to a utility pole.,
The Tesla driver in Tijuana connected it to a utility pole.,

Since last month, concerns over air toxins sparked chaos across San Diego County. Schools abruptly canceled physical education classes in the southern part of the county after a "chemicals of war" warning from a local emergency care physician went viral. Meanwhile, up north, a lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility released harmful fumes, prompting the city to order evacuations of nearby residents. Across the border, a Tesla allegedly being charged directly from a utility pole caught fire, sending dangerous fumes into the shared airspace. Coupled with extreme temperatures, wildfire risks, and strong winds, the county was on high alert.

In Imperial Beach, mortgage broker Amy Driscoll says she's been getting sick from the "sewage and toxic" smell from the Tijuana River. The stench has become so unbearable that she’s resorted to using three air purifiers in her home. "The smell has improved since Mexico turned their pumps on, but I don’t expect that to last," Driscoll told me two days ago. "It’s the same story over and over."

Lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility at 571 Enterprise Street caused school closures in Escondido.


Driscoll refers to a third pump reportedly activated on September 12 in Tijuana to divert sewage away from the Tijuana River, which typically flows into Imperial Beach and South San Diego. "The smell isn’t completely gone, but it’s better than it was for months," she said, adding, "I’ve had symptoms like headaches, nausea, sore throat, eye irritation, and trouble sleeping because the smells wake me up."

Sponsored
Sponsored

On September 9, before a crowd in Imperial Beach, Dr. Matthew Dickinson expressed alarm over the sewage contamination in the Tijuana River, stating, "One of the things that horrified me was fifty parts per billion of hydrogen cyanide gas. That's something that's used as a chemical of war." That same day, Mar Vista Academy, Mar Vista High School, Southwest High School, and Southwest Middle School kept students indoors during P.E. classes due to health concerns.

Angela from the South Bay added, "Mueller Charter Elementary in Chula Vista is one of those schools. Our neighborhood by the J Street Marina has to suffer the stench of those odors during our morning walks to school. It’s not right for our kids."

The problems weren’t confined to the southern part of the county. On September 5, schools in Escondido were closed due to air toxins. That Thursday, according to NBC San Diego, the City of Escondido issued evacuation orders to areas south of Mission Road, east of Alpine Way and Auto Park Way, west of Enterprise Street, and north of Auto Park Way. These warnings were triggered by the lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility at 571 Enterprise Street. The Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences, Carolyn Gilbert Education Center, and Rock Springs Elementary were closed.

On Reddit, people reported smelling the fumes from as far as 50 miles away from Escondido. One user commented, "It smells horrible in Carlsbad by the beach. It smells toxic." Another mentioned, "I could smell a faint toxic smell in San Juan Capistrano this afternoon."

The gases released during a lithium-ion battery fire are particularly hazardous, as they are combustible, poisonous, or both. "Any fire puts off toxic gases, and the gases from a lithium-ion battery fire are even more dangerous," said Matt Salmon of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department in a recent Fox 5 San Diego news report.

Electric vehicle batteries are a growing concern when they catch fire, as demonstrated by an incident involving a Tesla Model S with California license plates — according to the Milenio news outlet. On August 5, the car caught fire in the Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas neighborhood of Tijuana after the driver connected it to a Comisión Federal de Electricidad utility pole. The fire destroyed the Tesla and engulfed the house where it was parked, sending additional toxic fumes into the air, further affecting the Imperial Beach neighborhoods on the other side of the border.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Steven Richter comes up with $1 million for Lincoln Club

Lincoln Club helps Larry Turner, hits Terra Lawson-Remer
The Tesla driver in Tijuana connected it to a utility pole.,
The Tesla driver in Tijuana connected it to a utility pole.,

Since last month, concerns over air toxins sparked chaos across San Diego County. Schools abruptly canceled physical education classes in the southern part of the county after a "chemicals of war" warning from a local emergency care physician went viral. Meanwhile, up north, a lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility released harmful fumes, prompting the city to order evacuations of nearby residents. Across the border, a Tesla allegedly being charged directly from a utility pole caught fire, sending dangerous fumes into the shared airspace. Coupled with extreme temperatures, wildfire risks, and strong winds, the county was on high alert.

In Imperial Beach, mortgage broker Amy Driscoll says she's been getting sick from the "sewage and toxic" smell from the Tijuana River. The stench has become so unbearable that she’s resorted to using three air purifiers in her home. "The smell has improved since Mexico turned their pumps on, but I don’t expect that to last," Driscoll told me two days ago. "It’s the same story over and over."

Lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility at 571 Enterprise Street caused school closures in Escondido.


Driscoll refers to a third pump reportedly activated on September 12 in Tijuana to divert sewage away from the Tijuana River, which typically flows into Imperial Beach and South San Diego. "The smell isn’t completely gone, but it’s better than it was for months," she said, adding, "I’ve had symptoms like headaches, nausea, sore throat, eye irritation, and trouble sleeping because the smells wake me up."

Sponsored
Sponsored

On September 9, before a crowd in Imperial Beach, Dr. Matthew Dickinson expressed alarm over the sewage contamination in the Tijuana River, stating, "One of the things that horrified me was fifty parts per billion of hydrogen cyanide gas. That's something that's used as a chemical of war." That same day, Mar Vista Academy, Mar Vista High School, Southwest High School, and Southwest Middle School kept students indoors during P.E. classes due to health concerns.

Angela from the South Bay added, "Mueller Charter Elementary in Chula Vista is one of those schools. Our neighborhood by the J Street Marina has to suffer the stench of those odors during our morning walks to school. It’s not right for our kids."

The problems weren’t confined to the southern part of the county. On September 5, schools in Escondido were closed due to air toxins. That Thursday, according to NBC San Diego, the City of Escondido issued evacuation orders to areas south of Mission Road, east of Alpine Way and Auto Park Way, west of Enterprise Street, and north of Auto Park Way. These warnings were triggered by the lithium-ion battery fire at the SDG&E facility at 571 Enterprise Street. The Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences, Carolyn Gilbert Education Center, and Rock Springs Elementary were closed.

On Reddit, people reported smelling the fumes from as far as 50 miles away from Escondido. One user commented, "It smells horrible in Carlsbad by the beach. It smells toxic." Another mentioned, "I could smell a faint toxic smell in San Juan Capistrano this afternoon."

The gases released during a lithium-ion battery fire are particularly hazardous, as they are combustible, poisonous, or both. "Any fire puts off toxic gases, and the gases from a lithium-ion battery fire are even more dangerous," said Matt Salmon of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department in a recent Fox 5 San Diego news report.

Electric vehicle batteries are a growing concern when they catch fire, as demonstrated by an incident involving a Tesla Model S with California license plates — according to the Milenio news outlet. On August 5, the car caught fire in the Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas neighborhood of Tijuana after the driver connected it to a Comisión Federal de Electricidad utility pole. The fire destroyed the Tesla and engulfed the house where it was parked, sending additional toxic fumes into the air, further affecting the Imperial Beach neighborhoods on the other side of the border.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Our riparian woodland begins to look like fall, Orb Weavers help decorate

Comet of the century?
Next Article

Prime Wheel in Tijuana cracks down on employees after worker disappears

Maquila co-workers turn on man's wife
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader