How San Diego officials are preparing for wildfires, and how residents can too

San Diego County is still under wildfire threat, as the recent rains have done little to lift the region out of an extreme drought. 

Last month was the 13th driest January since 1895 — making for conditions that, when mixed with Santa Ana winds, can quickly spread embers. Meanwhile, outdated equipment and lacking brush management may put San Diego at greater risk of significant fire threats, officials say, especially in less urban parts of the county where residential areas meet areas of dense vegetation. 

While more densely populated residential areas tend to be at lower fire risks, due to less vegetation, many North County communities such as Escondido, Valley Center and eastern Poway are near open spaces which are at significantly higher wildfire risk, according to data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In South County, along large portions of the border, in neighborhoods surrounding the landfill and Otay Reservoir, near where the Border 2 Fire recently burned, are also at higher fire risk. 

Following destructive fires in Los Angeles, North County fire officials encouraged the city of San Diego to consider broadening resources for firefighting to avoid similar financial and individual devastation from occurring in San Diego. Last month’s Border 2 Fire in the Otay wilderness area burned more than 6,600 acres — the fourth largest wildfire in California this year following three L.A. fires — yet did not cause any damage to structures, according to Cal Fire.

The county had eight wildfires last month.

“As we learned it only takes a spark, a downed powerline or stray ember carried by Santa Ana winds, where a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into a catastrophe,” said Supervisor Jim Desmond, who represents much of North County, in a press conference late last month. 

Later that day, Desmond and several North County fire chiefs asked the Board of Supervisors to commit additional resources to aid firefighting in San Diego County. 

At Desmond’s request, the county approved a new twin-engine helicopter, a significant upgrade from some of the county’s current aircraft developed in the 1960s and ’70s, as well as an assessment of additional brush management resources.

The new aircraft is estimated to cost between $15 million to $20 million. The city has about $4 million in grant funding from the federal government for the helicopter. 

The new funding for San Diego fire efforts will also allow for more brush clearing operations, officials said. 

Dense vegetation has historically contributed to quick-spreading wildfires in the county. Both the 2003 Cedar Fire, the largest and most destructive in San Diego history, and the more recent 2020 Valley Fire were located in Cleveland National Forest, allowing for the area’s forestry to fuel their growth. 

North County communities including Carlsbad, San Marcos and unincorporated areas, where less densely populated residential areas meet rolling hills and vegetation, also have had a history of wildfires. In May 2014 alone, multiple fires broke out in those communities, burning about 26,000 acres. 

“The Lilac and Border fires that broke out last week demonstrate the strength of the response we have here in the region,” said Cal Fire Chief Tony Mecham at the Board of Supervisors meeting last month.

Fire chiefs say that collaboration with both residents and other departments allow for successful fire response. 

“This is a team effort,” said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with Cal Fire. “No one fire department can control these blazes by themselves.” 

Programs to protect homes

Many communities have brush management programs for homeowners whose homes are in high-risk areas. They promote creating defensible space around homes, including clearing brush, moving trash cans and other items 100 feet away from a residence, as well as covering attic vents with mesh screens to prevent stray embers from entering homes. 

In Poway, where Fire Chief Brian Mitchell says nearly 4,000 homes are in high fire risk areas, mandatory defensible space programs allow for homeowners to clear wide-spreading, protected plant species in order to protect their homes. 

San Diego fire officials say they are concerned about homeowners losing their insurance policies and increasing insurance rates.

Valley Center Fire Chief Joe Napier said that he lives in Valley Center and has seen firsthand the negative effects of changing insurance policies. He said that his own home insurance rate has recently increased dramatically, and he has seen his neighbors lose their insurance. 

According to Napier, many of his neighbors have relied on the California FAIR Plan since losing their insurance. California’s FAIR Plan provides basic insurance for high-risk properties that may not be insurable by traditional insurance companies.  

Many homeowners may face challenges finding insurance or affording their home insurance if their home is not within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant. This is most common in unincorporated parts of the county. Desmond called for additional water tenders — large trucks that can transport water — for these areas in order for firefighters to have greater access to water. 

Beyond the county’s current updates, Napier says he is trying to create an option for high-risk homeowners to receive a Cal Fire inspection in order to qualify for insurance or reduce insurance rates. 

Desmond says he has fielded questions about if something like the L.A. fires could occur in San Diego. San Diegans have asked him if our water reservoirs and hydrants are full, if brush is being cleared and if there are adequate resources to fight fires. 

He said that these are all valid concerns and that the recent funding for more resources will ensure that San Diego is ready for future wildfire threats. 

“If we wait, we’re going to risk a catastrophe like we had in Los Angeles,” Desmond said.