Lawsuits, locked doors and a police presence disrupted what was hoped to be a smooth transition in Julian as the county’s last volunteer fire department officially became a professional force.
On Monday morning, the county legally took control of the 87-square-mile Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District even as legal challenges mount and ill will simmers in the tourist-friendly mountain community in northeast San Diego County.
By Monday afternoon, a county transition team comprising a locksmith, a facilities manager and an information technologist were denied access to the main Julian volunteer fire station off state Route 79 by a group of volunteers and supporters who locked themselves inside the building.
At day’s end, the county was waiting for a court order allowing the transition team in to assess the condition of the building, change the locks and possibly force the volunteers out.