A Sunday Morning Interrupted: Inside the Brengle Fire Through the Eyes of A Vista Resident

You think you know what Sunday morning is going to look like.

Maybe you're heading to church. Maybe it's brunch, pancakes with the kids or finally sleeping a little later than you did all week.

For residents near Brengle Terrace Park in Vista, Sunday, Sept. 6, didn't go according to plan.

Shortly after 7 a.m., a vegetation fire broke out near the 1200 block of Vale Terrace Drive. The fire threatened nearby structures, sending firefighters into the neighborhood and prompting evacuation orders and warnings. Vista High School was opened as a temporary evacuation point.

For Vista resident Andrea Villegas, there wasn't much time to think about anything except her family.

“All that was going through my head was get my family out”

“It was very stressful, scary,” Villegas told North Valley Flare. “All what was going through my head was get my family out.”

The fire was close enough that the possibility of losing her home suddenly didn't seem far-fetched.

“This was too close to home and felt like I was going to loose everything,” she said. “It’s not something I want anyone to endure.”

Villegas shared this video with North Valley Flare showing what she witnessed as the fire burned near her neighborhood.

While residents like Villegas concentrated on getting their families to safety, others were working with firefighters to protect the people living closest to the fire.

In a public Facebook discussion, Mark Reed called attention to his friend Mark Rychly, whom Reed identified as the manager of an apartment property next to the fire.

“My buddy is the manager next to one of the apartments building next to the fire,” Reed wrote, saying Rychly had been “working with the fire department to make sure his tenants are safe.”

North Valley Flare attempted to connect directly with Rychly through Reed but had not spoken with him as of publication.

It's a small glimpse into what was happening inside the evacuation zone — firefighters attacking the fire while residents and those responsible for nearby properties focused on getting people safely through it.

Families leave, firefighters move in

The evacuation wasn't theoretical for people living nearby.

Families left their homes and headed to Vista High School while firefighters worked the fire. NBC 7 reported evacuees arriving with children and pets, unsure when they would be able to return.

Fortunately, that uncertainty didn't last all day.

Crews stopped the fire's forward progress and continued working through burned vegetation and hot spots. By 10 a.m., the San Diego County Sheriff's Office had lifted all evacuation orders and warnings associated with the Brengle Fire.

NBC 7 later reported that the fire was out less than two hours after it began. No injuries or property damage were reported.

For Villegas, the outcome brought relief — but not an immediate return to normal.

“I am thankful that none of my neighbors were hurt that I know of,” she said. “I’m still a bit shaken up knowing this could have been turned into a different situation.”

After the flames, the work continued

The evacuation orders may have been gone, but firefighters weren't.

This video provided to North Valley Flare by San Diego photographer Steve / @steve_san_diego shows firefighters dousing the burned area after the active flames had been knocked down.

Villegas also photographed the aftermath near her home. Her photo shows a stand of heavily burned and blackened trees overlooking a rain-wet parking area. She said crews were cutting down damaged trees following the fire.

For Villegas, seeing how differently the morning could have ended left her particularly grateful for the people who responded.

“Thank you to the Vista firefighters for all that they do,” she said.

An ordinary Sunday that wasn't

By late morning, residents were being allowed home. No injuries had been reported. No property damage had been reported.

On paper, those facts make the Brengle Fire sound like a relatively short emergency with a very good ending.

But they don't describe the moments when a resident looks outside and realizes the fire is close enough to threaten everything familiar. They don't describe grabbing your family and leaving without knowing what you'll find when you come back. And they don't capture the people working alongside firefighters to make sure neighbors and tenants get out safely.

For a few hours Sunday morning, families near Brengle Terrace Park didn't know how their story was going to end.

Then the flames were knocked down, the evacuation orders disappeared and people began returning home.

Sunday slowly started becoming Sunday again.

As of the latest available reporting, Vista Fire Department investigators had not announced the cause of the Brengle Fire.

Questions You May Have About the Brengle Fire

When did the Brengle Fire happen?
The fire broke out shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, near the 1200 block of Vale Terrace Drive and Brengle Terrace Park in Vista.

Were residents evacuated?
Yes. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for nearby areas, and Vista High School served as a temporary evacuation point. All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted by 10 a.m.

Was anyone hurt or was property damaged?
No injuries or property damage were reported.

What caused the Brengle Fire?
As of the latest available reporting, Vista Fire Department investigators had not announced a cause.

Photo: Aftermath of the Brengle Fire near Brengle Terrace Park. Photo courtesy of Andrea Villegas, used with permission.

Video: Brengle Fire footage courtesy of Andrea Villegas, used with permission.

Video: Firefighters working the burned area following the Brengle Fire. Video courtesy of Steve / @steve_san_diego, used with permission.