Officials tally wildfire damage estimates

San Diego County Dept. of Ag., Weights and Measures reports 11,456 acres of ag. production in affected wildfire areas, including an estimated 45 acres of greenhouses, 750 acres of field-grown cut flowers, 863 acres of outdoor nursery crops and 5,880 acres of avocado trees. Initial estimates for the Rice Canyon Fire, which burned in the Fallbrook and Rainbow areas, show 927 acres of ag. were either damaged or destroyed at a value of $30 million. This includes an estimated 217 acres of cut flowers, 218 acres of nursery stock and 486 acres of avocados. These losses do not include irrigation systems, equipment or dwellings. One of the biggest losses from the fires occurred at Kendall Farms, a field cut flower grower in Fallbrook, San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Dawn Nielsen, the county's deputy ag. commissioner, told the newspaper that the company lost 95% of its 200-acre crop. Nielsen estimated 1,630 acres (16.5%) of the county's 9,870 acres of ornamental crops are in the Rice Canyon and Witch Creek fire areas. Eric Larson, County Farm Bureau exec. dir., told the paper significant plant damage was expected from burning, dehydration, smoke and ash pollution. He said further losses could occur if plants can't be watered due to damaged irrigation lines. Larson didn't expect plant losses to result in increased prices because other growers would be able to meet demand.

Jason Berkes