Don’t Be Alarmed, It’s Just a Test Explosion
Although it may appear that the San Diego Gas & Electric power plant in Chula Vista is burning this morning, the Chula Vista Fire Department says not to worry.
The flames will be part of training exercises being conducted next to the plant for the department’s Fire Explorers program, a department spokesman said.
In the exercises, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., 35 gallons of fuel will be ignited in an 8-by-8-foot pit. Thirteen teen-age trainees will then combat the fire.
The annual exercise serves as part of a program geared for young people who hope to become firefighters, said Gary Breton, post adviser for the Fire Department. The participants were recruited from Chula Vista-area high schools, he said.
“We’re just trying to take high school kids and steer them in the right direction,” he said.
The youths first attend lectures on firefighting and later apply their newly learned knowledge in drills.
Reserve fire engines will be on hand to prevent the exercise from getting out of hand.
“We will be safety-conscious,” Breton said. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
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