JULIAN, Calif. (AP) - The last volunteer fire department in San Diego County has officially been dissolved but the volunteers refuse to go.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the county’s legal takeover of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District occurred Monday, but volunteers and supporters locked themselves in the main fire station and refused access to a county transition team.
The district serves the Cuyamaca Mountains around Julian, a quaint town spawned by an 1870s gold rush and now a tourist destination famous for apple pies.
But things soured due to financial struggles that led to a complex legal process including an election in which 54 percent of voters chose to go with the county, which contracts with Cal Fire for services.
The Local Agency Formation Commission voted unanimously on Monday to honor that result.
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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com
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