Airport Fire Prompts Generous Response From Padres' Minor League Affiliate

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 12, 2024

Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres' Single-A affiliate is trying to bring some relief to those affected by the Airport Fire.

The Lake Elsinore Storm decided to make Thursday’s game more accessible to the local community with reduced prices. The team has also pledged a percentage of its ticket revenue from the first-round playoff game for Airport Fire Relief.

Due to the unfortunate and destructive Airport Fire, we have decided to make tomorrow’s game more accessible for and supportive of our community.

Learn More: https://t.co/7X9W6lFuif

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) September 11, 2024

The rapid spread of the Airport Fire slowed considerably on Wednesday, and firefighters made some progress in containing it. However, the fire still destroyed homes after advancing into Riverside County overnight.

Cooler weather contributed to slowing the fire's progress, though it still expanded from 19,028 acres on Tuesday to an estimated 23,140 acres by early Wednesday evening. The reduced pace of growth — compared to the 5,432 acres reported Monday night — allowed firefighters to take a more aggressive approach and move closer to the fire line.

Lake Elsinore hosts a playoff game tonight, under difficult circumstances. The Airport Fire burned over 23,000 acres, resulted in the evacuation of thousands of homes and is still not fully contained. https://t.co/xgwDimivpD

— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) September 12, 2024

“The change in weather overnight slowed the fire’s growth and empowered the ground and air forces to significantly improve the fire lines, including ones that will protect the communities in the event of any wind changes,” Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Kevin Fetterman said.

By late Wednesday, more than 5,500 homes remained under evacuation orders, impacting more than 19,000 residents, while evacuation warnings were in place for over 9,500 homes, affecting more than 33,500 people, officials reported. Authorities confirmed that some structures had been lost to the fire, though crews had not yet completed a full damage assessment.

After tearing through the mountain and canyon communities of Orange County on Monday and Tuesday, the fire crossed Ortega Highway and advanced into Riverside County. Flames pushed eastward toward Lake Elsinore, leading to road closures along the main route as firefighters, supported by helicopters and air tankers, continued to fight the blaze.

“The fire impacted the (Riverside County) communities along Ortega Highway yesterday and there have been homes that were damaged and/or destroyed,” OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said Wednesday morning. “We have damage assessment teams that will be going through all areas of this fire today and over the next few days assessing any potential damage to structures.”

Thunder Cares will donate a portion of ticket sales to support relief efforts. Ticket prices have been reduced to $9, and the remaining 2024 giveaway items will be distributed randomly as fans enter the gates.

Inside the ballpark, Throwback Thirsty Thursday promotions will be in effect, including $35 all-you-can-drink options and discounted beers at the OTG Diamond Taproom.