Crest residents have a new firefighting resource in place as East County moves deeper into wildfire season, according to East County Magazine and San Miguel Fire & Rescue.\n\nBrush Engine 18 is now operating out of the new Crest firehouse, while the first phase of station construction is nearly complete and work continues on the lower half of the property.\n\nSan Miguel Fire & Rescue officials said the rig is being outfitted with equipment and could be fully in service within the next couple of months, ideally before peak fire season.\n\nThe apparatus was acquired with grant assistance from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and the San Diego River Conservancy, East County Magazine reported. For Santee and nearby East County communities, the update is another piece of regional wildfire readiness as hot, dry months continue.\n\nSource: East County Magazine, with information credited to San Miguel Fire & Rescue.