With brush conditions feared to be the worst in perhaps 90 years, fire officials are launching a preemptive strike to raise awareness of the increased danger.
A half-lit cigarette thrown from a car window or an illegal bonfire poses much more of a threat than just a potential ticket from park rangers, officials said recently.
To illustrate their point, members of the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department set ablaze a pile of dry brush during a controlled burn demonstration on Thursday, May 3, at Marian Bear Memorial Park.
Using the burn to show how an inferno can erupt in less than a minute, FRD Chief Tracy Jarman pointed out that brush growing under wooden decks, in backyards and along the 950 linear canyon miles in the region poses a severe risk.
“I’m extraordinarily concerned about the fire potential and the danger for this upcoming fire season,” Jarman said.
Over the last year, cold weather and scarce rain has caused a high percentage of brush and vegetation to die and dry out, Jarman said.
Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department, agreed.
“You have vegetation that’s very low in fuel moisture “¦ It’s green, but it’s dry inside,” Luque said.
The potential danger has the fire department focused on prevention and public awareness, according to Jarman.
This week, the Fire and Rescue Department launched its annual canyon fire-rim inspection program, Jarman said. As part of the program, officials from 42 stations will inspect canyon areas and surrounding properties for fire hazards.
Officials also began passing out a single-page information sheet with additional information for homeowners, Jarman said.
The Fire and Rescue Department officials suggest clearing an area of about 100 feet of “defensible space” by selectively trimming vegetation around homes. They also suggest clearing dying tree branches and removing leaves from rain gutters.
Although the department is focused on prevention, officials said they are prepared in the event a fire does erupt.
The department lists 20 different sites that have been designated high-risk zones, said Deputy Chief Perry Peake. The areas include all canyons, Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch and Mount Soledad.
Although the department has a unique, detailed plan for each area, anywhere brush and grass have grown heavily in the last year poses a danger, he said.
Having gained valuable insight after the 2003 Cedar fire ” the largest in California history ” the Fire and Rescue Department has developed new firefighting technologies within the last year, Peake said.
A new mobile communication center with a direct video link from helicopters flying over a fire can provide immediate visual information to firefighters in terms of size and location, Jarman said.
Also, Copter-1, the station’s fire and rescue helicopter, now operates 24 hours a day.
In addition to new technology, the Sycuan Fire Department with the Bureau of Indian Affairs will provide an 8- to 12-person “elite fire team.” Copter-1 drops the team into the most dangerous areas of the fire to supplement efforts of the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department, Jarman said.
“The best way we’re going to be able to keep them contained is to hit ’em hard, hit ’em early and hit ’em fast,” Jarman said.