Defensible Space

We've been under mandatory evacuation since yesterday due to the Cocos Fire in San Marcos. In the past four days, San Diego county has literally had a firestorm consisting of 10 major fires. So far over 20,000 acres have burned and dozens of homes and buildings have been lost.

This is highly unusual for this time of year as our fire season typically doesn't start until the end of summer. However the extreme drought conditions we have had the past couple years has basically set us up for the perfect storm of fire. That's why it's CRITICAL that everyone be prepared.

Having this firestorm in May is very unusual and not a good sign of things to come. We're in severe drought conditions so everyone really needs to maintain defensible space around your homes so that the firefighters have a chance to save it if a wildfire happens in your area.

If your house is in jeopardy and you haven't made it defensible, they WILL move on to the next house. You need to have at least 100 feet of cleared area around your house, make sure no dead leaves are in your gutters or piled up next to your home, make sure your trees don't touch your house, put screens on your attic vents, etc.

Please, please, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the information on Cal Fire's website. It will make the difference between whether your home is saved or not.