Brush Fire Threatens SDSU Area

San Diego Fire Department is actively addressing the Montezuma fire just blocks away from campus

by Madison Cadena and Isabella Biunno • October 31, 2024

Image of smoke seen from the Montezuma Fire at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union on Oct. 31.

On Thursday afternoon, a brush fire was reported at 1:40 pm in Talmandage and the College Area, threatening homes and causing mandatory evacuations.

The estimated size of the fire expanded to nearly 40 acres and at 0% containment, as of 4 pm.

According to the San Diego Fire Department, the mandatory evacuation areas included South of Alvarado Canyon Rd, West of Hewlett Dr., North of Monroe Ave and East of Montezuma, also including the 5025 apartment complex where numerous San Diego State University students reside.

Also included in the evacuation was Hardy Elementary School, who were told to relocate to ensure the safety of all students.

Two evacuation points include Allied Gardens Recreation Center and Viejas Arena at SDSU. Impacted community members can get food and water if needed.

At this time, SDFD is unsure when the evacuation order will be lifted. Firefighters and first responders are actively combatting the fire, and residents are being asked to avoid the area.

Numerous road closures are also in effect including:

Collwood Boulevard between Monroe Avenue and Montezuma Road
Montezuma Road between Fairmount Avenue and 55th
Fairmount Avenue from I-8 to Aldine Drive
Camino del Rio South at Fairmount Avenue

Various intersections in the College Area, including College Ave and Montezuma Rd., are reporting stop light outages. Law enforcement is present to direct traffic.

“Some members of the SDSU community are receiving evacuation orders via text from a different agency,” an SDSU alert said at 3:29 pm. “The active evacuation orders impact areas around campus, and not on campus. Campus is open and instruction continues. There is no threat to SDSU and no SDSU buildings are currently being evacuated.”

As of 4:36pm, SDSU released a statement saying road closures will be in place until midnight, “For those traveling to SDSU this evening for classes and other activities, please take I-8 and exit College Ave. Avoid impacted areas, and expect delays.”

At this time, there is no threat to the SDSU campus. SDSU students should download the SDSU Safe app to get updates on this ongoing event. More information and a live fire map can be found on the official California Forestry and Fire Protection Website.

About the Contributors

Madison Cadena, '24 -25 Editor-in-Chief, '23 -24 Broadcast Live Producer

Madison Cadena is a third-year journalism student at San Diego State University. She is from Long Island, NY, and knew she wanted to pursue journalism at just 10 years old. Currently, she is the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Aztec and began as a sports reporter. From there she worked with multimedia, photo and social media to become the Multimedia Editor in her Sophomore year. Simultaneously she began her Presidential term for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, where she doubled attendance in her year. Madison is also a member of Kappa Delta and has been a part of the Points Committee, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. She knew she wanted to gain more knowledge of sorority government, so she currently is on the College Panhellenic Association Board as the Vice President of Programming. In this position, she plans events and helps with governing for over 2,500 sorority women. She is also a new member of the Greek honor society Rho Lambda. Madison is in her third and final year at SDSU, and she is also a School of Journalism and Media Studies Intern, where she helps produce content and works alongside the Program Director Dr. Temple Northup.

Isabella Biunno, '24-25 Managing Editor, '23-24 Photo Editor

Isabella Biunno is the Managing Editor for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of publications for seven years. She is a third-year Psychology major with an emphasis in Neuroscience, and she plans to go to graduate school to become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue contributing to the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability community. She is an instructor at SDSU’s Adaptive Fitness Clinic, president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Association, and a board member for a nonprofit called Mentoring Autistic Minds. She works as an instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she is able to work with individuals with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys journalism just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as an editor this year.