New Interim Fire Chief Appointed to Serve Solana Beach and Del Mar

Earlier this year, Solana Beach and Del Mar leaders began working together to develop a new fire protection service model for our communities following the decision to end a 2009 cooperative agreement, led by the City of Encinias, which established shared management, resources and staff for fire prevention and response across multiple cities.

Soon, Del Mar and Solana Beach will finalize a new partnership to deliver fire safety and service for cities and build a new team of fire fighter leadership. In order to provide essential support, guidance and expertise in this transition and development period, on December 10, the City Council unanimously approved the appointment of longtime regional fire management leader Colin Stowell as Interim Fire Chief.

Mr. Stowell is a retired Fire Chief with over 20 years of fire management and fire suppression experience. He started his career in the fire service in 2002, working for the City of San Diego where he promoted through the ranks and retired as the Fire Chief in 2024. Stowell also served as Fire Chief for the Heartland Fire and Rescue Department for two years.

We thank Chief Stowell for his willingness to serve our community and look forward to more updates on this role and transition in early 2026.