By Scott Sherman | District 7 Dispatch
With a goal of reducing the risk of wildfires in San Diego’s most fire-prone areas, the city of San Diego has begun clearing trash and debris from canyons as part of Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s “Clean SD” initiative.
According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the city has seen the number of fire incidents related to camping or cooking increase from nearly 150 in 2014 to almost 300 in 2017.
The Clean SD initiative expanded to include canyons on Aug. 13 and already more than five tons of trash and waste has already been removed. Since November, crews have removed 158 tons from the river, and 168 tons from Downtown streets and sidewalks.
District 7 has many communities where houses go right to the canyon edge. In fact, around 45,000 structures are along canyon edges throughout the city. This cleanup effort goes a long way to help mitigate fire risks and keep residents and firefighters safe.
The 1,400 tons of debris include:
- 481 tires
- 4595 mattresses and box springs
- 1,577 shopping carts
- 203 appliances
Also, San Diego residents should take the time to ensure they have taken the proper precautions to protect their family and property. 
For tips on how to prepare, please visit San Diego Fire-Rescue’s website at sandiego.gov/fire.
It is also important to remember that wildfire danger isn’t just near canyonlands. In the 2007 fires, houses were burning when the fire-front was 89 minutes away. Flying embers have been known to travel over 5 miles from a wildfire.
Together, we can ensure that our property and families are safe from wildfires.
—San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman represents the District 7 neighborhoods of Mission Valley, Grantville, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and San Carlos.
