Por Diana Jacob

Prepare and protect: The recent Border Fire was a tragic reminder of the risks we face each year across East County.

We may be heading into one of our worst fire seasons yet, and there is an awful lot of brush out there — dry brush — that hasn’t burned in over 50 years.

Please remember to cut back brush around your home, clear out flammable debris and take other steps to reduce your risk. Fire officials say you need to maintain at least 100 feet of defensible space around your home.

For more on how to prepare, go to readysandiego.org.

Stop the scourge: I recently joined District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and other health and public safety officials to announce a public awareness campaign aimed at shining a light on human trafficking.

The campaign builds on our efforts in recent years to crack down on a heinous crime that victimizes some 11,700 mostly underage local girls each year. We’re talking about girls as young as 14 or 15 forced into sexual slavery!

To learn more, check out the public awareness campaign website at theuglytruthsd.org.

Honoring our finest: It’s always a great privilege for me to present county proclamations to people and programs that have accomplished amazing things.

A couple of recent recipients:

• Cancer survivor Leslie Pierce. Leslie was named 2016 Woman of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She has raised more than $50,000 to support cancer-related research.
• Spring Valley Youth and Family Coalition. The organization continues to work hard to improve the health and safety of teens and others in the Spring Valley area.

For more District 2 news, go to diannejacob.com or follow me on Facebook and Twitter. If I can assist with a county issue, please call my office at 619-531-5522 or email [email protected]

Have a great East County day!

—Dianne Jacob is County Supervisor for District 2.