Editing Bostonia, California (section)

===Fire district and fires===
A petition was submitted in 1977 by owners of 112 acres within the 480-acre Bostonia Fire Protection District to secede and join the [[Santee, California|Santee]] district. It was denied by the [[Local Agency Formation Commission]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/645206788/?terms=Bostonia&match=1 "Bradley to Stay in Bostonia," ''Life News,'' La Mesa, California, image 1]</ref>

In 1986, a fire in nearby [[El Cajon]] killed two and injured five residents at a home for the aged despite the fact that it broke out only a hundred yards from a station within the Bostonia Fire Protection District.<ref name=JurisdictionalIssue>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/401892566/?terms=Bostonia&match=1 H.G. Reza, "Jurisdictional Issue Raised in Fatal Fire in El Cajon," ''Los Angeles Times,'' February 8, 1986, image 27]</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/570347557/?terms=Bostonia&match=1 Associated Press, "Nearby Station No Help in Fatal Fire," ''Times-Advocate,'' Escondido, California, February 9, 1986, image 1]</ref>

The Bostonia firefighters were prevented from battling the blaze because the district had no mutual-aid agreement with El Cajon, whose firefighters arrived three minutes after the fire was reported. El Cajon Fire Chief Art Melbourne said that Bostonia firefighters did give help but declined to say exactly what it was.<ref name=JurisdictionalIssue/>

El Cajon Fire Chief Roger House said that Bostonia was not part of any agreement because it did not meet the requirements for belonging, including round-the-clock staffing and a certain kind of equipment.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/402031634/?terms=Bostonia&match=1 Carla Rivera, "Alarm: Switched-Off Horns May Be Linked to 3 Deaths in Blaze," ''Los Angeles Times,'' February 11, 1986, image 37]</ref>