Calif. wildfire sparked by migrants' signal blaze

[The Northerner]

CAMPO, Calif. – Authorities say a wildfire burning in rural San Diego County was sparked by two illegal immigrants who set a signal fire after they got lost.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Nick Schuler says the migrants made a cell phone call to Mexico's emergency dispatch system on Thursday afternoon saying they'd been lost for two days, were dehydrated and were going to set a signal fire so rescuers could spot them.

Schuler says remnants of a campfire were found, but there was no sign of the migrants.

The fire, between Campo and Potrero, has grown to 822 acres and is 42 percent contained. Full containment is expected on Sunday.

No structures are threatened, no roads are closed and there have been no injuries.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100904/ap_on_re_us/us_california_wildfires_1

[Travis_0004]

1. Don't cell phones have triangulation?

If you are in a desert and only connecting to one tower, triangulation can be difficult, but if you hit 2 towers, then it should be much easier to find you, as there are only 2 possible locations.

[Hannah Bell]

2. they found a dead campfire & that supposedly started a forest fire?

sounds bogus.

sounds like an attempt to blame the fire on the "illegal" mexicans.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. My thought too.