The loss of life and destruction of property caused by the 2003
Cedar and Paradise fires could have been much worse without the
remarkable talents and dedication of our region's firefighters.
Most of the devastation could have been avoided, however, if we had
been more aware of the fire-prone environment in which we live and
if the impacted communities had been designed to allow the flames
to pass around them instead of through them.
Fortunately -- despite continuing to use wood shake shingles for
our roofs, building homes within known fire corridors and snuggling
developments right up against wildlands -- it appears we are
finally getting it. Although some developers still resist fire-safe
planning requirements, especially those restricting the number of
homes that can be built, wildfire is now a critical component in
the approval process of any new development in San Diego County.
Firefighters are sitting at the planning table and have the ability
to prevent the construction of communities that are designed to
An important part of creating fire-safe neighborhoods is to help
citizens understand fire behavior and what they can do to support
fire suppression efforts if the flames arrive. Taking
responsibility to become fire-literate will not only prevent panic
but acknowledges a critical fact: There will never be enough
firefighters to protect every structure or every life during a
severe wildfire event. This is why the concept of
"shelter-in-place" is so compelling.
Shelter-in-place means most residents do not evacuate properly
designed, fire-safe developments during a wildland fire, but
instead allow the flames to pass around their communities while
watching the excitement from the safety of their living rooms. Once
the fire front has passed, those who have been properly trained can
go outside and extinguish any spot fires that may have ignited.
This practice has been successfully implemented in the world's
other most fire-prone environment, Australia, saving both lives and
While it may sound insane to remain home during a wildfire,
consider that 12 of the 16 private citizens killed during the Cedar
and Paradise fires were overcome by flames while in the process of
evacuating. The other three died in poorly designed homes located
in unsafe areas surrounded by dense vegetation.
Many of the homes destroyed in the Scripps Ranch area during the
Cedar fire actually began burning several hours after the fire
front had passed because glowing embers nestled within the
structures themselves needed time to do their malicious work. In
fact, several homes within the community were saved due to the
action of residents who remained behind, extinguishing spot fires,
moving smoldering patio furniture away from walls, and knocking
over burning wooden fences after the fire front had moved on.
It is crucial to understand that shelter-in-place is not an
option for some due to health concerns, and is not easily
implemented in older communities that have not been designed with
fire safety in mind. It is extremely difficult to retrofit every
home and correct problems such as poor access, narrow roads and
inadequate separation between buildings. Once a single home is
engulfed by flames, the entire community is at risk and
professional firefighters are required. This is why Scripps Ranch
remains at risk, because several homes still have shake