At the command post for the Friars Fire in Mission Valley, San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Craig Newell showed Mayor Todd Gloria how the fire department mapped out evacuations for dozens of homes right across the street from the Fashion Valley Mall that were threatened by the flames. “It was running up the hill as fast, so I couldn’t wait for engines from any farther away,” Newell said. Friars Fire: Mission Valley 15 hours ago Brush fire burns near Fashion Valley Mall; evacuation orders lifted Mission Valley 12 hours ago Hillside fire threatens homes near Fashion Valley Mall Newell says the fire’s speed and proximity to homes forced him to call an audible. Normally, strike teams from a pre-designated list would respond. But being inside the city offered a luxury not always available in more remote areas like Bonsall, where the Lilac Fire erupted Tuesday morning. “Farther outside the county, you don’t have the resources,” Newell said. “Here, we have the dense resources that we can throw nearly 200 firefighters in the first few minutes we were able to respond to this. “ Air attacks are critical to winning firefights, but weather and surrounding conditions aren’t always conducive to unleash an all-out aerial assault. While planes were able to drop retardant during the Lilac and Poway fires this week, only helicopters were used on the Friars Fire after a supervisor in a spotter plane decided power lines would prove too much of a danger. Marveling at their skill, Newell says the drops are a blend of both art and strategy. “They put as much water as they can on the front of the fire, so it stops its forward progress,” Newell said. “Then, they come back up and get the flanks and then in the spots that are going to jump the line from us.” As the architect of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s firefighting plan for Mission Valley and other neighborhoods, Newell showed NBC 7 some of their tactics and how they create defensible space in real time. “They use the chainsaws to cut all that brush down, so they can create a barrier, so the fire won’t jump,” Newell said. He also shed light on why mopping up the hotspots is critical. “Those roots will go down into the ground, and they’ll burn slowly underground from the fire,” Newell said. “So, we need to get down and dig. We hydraulic with the tools or use like hydraulic blast of water to dig up things and get those roots and get those fully extinguished because those will stay for days or weeks underground, still hot.”