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June 17,2011 (San Diego) -- County Supervisors and public safety officials kicked off Defensible Space Days last week by urging residents to give their homes a fighting chance against wildfires by creating a 100-foot buffer zone. The map below shows areas most likely to have a major wildfire—including a significant section of East County.
“We lost thousands of homes in the 2003 and 2007 firestorms and learned that homes with defensible space are far more likely to survive than homes without it. As we head into the hot, dry conditions of summer and fall, it’s imperative that residents get rid of fire hazards on their properties,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
Supervisor Pam Slater-Price added, “Wildfires can affect any area in our county, even urban and suburban areas, where many homes border canyons and open space. We need full participation.”
Defensible space is area around the home where plants and trees are maintained to prevent fire from spreading quickly, and ignitable items such as firewood and patio furniture are placed away from the home.
Last Saturday and Sunday, participating fire agencies and community safety groups reinforced their efforts to inspect properties and educate homeowners on defensible space techniques, including what is required by law and local code.
San Diego County Fire Authority Chief and CAL FIRE Unit Chief Howard Windsor provided examples at the home of a Lakeside resident, who saw firsthand how proper maintenance protected his house as flames swept through his neighborhood during the 2003 firestorm.
“These techniques not only protect the home, but it creates a safe area for our local firefighters to do their jobs,” said Windsor.
Defensible Space Days are sponsored by the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, San Diego County Fire Authority, CAL FIRE and the Regional Fire Advisory Committee. Other participating agencies include: Lakeside, Deer Springs, Bonita Sunnyside, San Miguel, Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Vista, Rural, Julian, Pine Valley, Valley Center, Elfin Forest, Fire Safe Council of San Diego County and several Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). For more information, visit www.ReadySanDiego.org.
Comments
No County Fire Department
The County of San Diego Does NOT have a fire department. The BOS threw 15 Million $ at Cal Fire and declared a fire agency born. LAFCO said it would take at least 160 Million to create a minimum County fire agency. Some one is pulling someones leg?
Also troubling is the fact
Also troubling is the fact that the state budget cuts include reducing Cal-Fire manpower from 4 firefighters to 3 on engines. A firefighter explained to me that means fewer guys to haul heavy hoses uphill, slowing down response time potentially and making it more dangerous for firefighters.
Lots of people oppose a proposed parcel tax that some legislators are pushing. Most of the same people who oppose that have also opposed any form of revenue increases. So how should firefighting be funded to assure adequate manpower out in the backcountry areas? The cost of fighting fires hit a record high in 2007 in California and in 2008 it was even higher, setting a second record.
Volunteer firefighting is great when you have enough dedicated and trained volunteers but can be a problem if some people are away, sick, working other jobs etc. when a bad fire gets started. Professional firefighters are generally well paid, but they tend to die early of smoke-related exposure and these are dangerous jobs. My sister-in-law's father was a firefighter killed in action; the death benefit that Schwarzenegger tried to get rid of was a godsend to his family, which had several small children in need of care beyond what the mother (a child care worker) could provide.
What are the options to fund firefighting adequately, assure firefighters and their families are adequately protected, and that manpower and equipment will be available in backcountry areas as well as the urban areas to our west when a major fire strikes?