Residents should brace themselves for an active fire season, San Diego County fire officials said Thursday.
This winter's rain fed an explosion of grass, which could fuel fires this year.
"Last year, we did not have a lot of grass," said San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Meacham. "We didn't have a lot of rain. This year, we have enough grass where we're going to have the starts, which we refer to as ignitions."
He added, "We're going to get fires. It's a matter of how aggressively we are able to attack any fire that starts in this kind of fuel quickly."
Ways to prepare:
- Download San Diego County emergency app
- Develop a disaster plan
- Register your cell phone number with AlertSan Diego
- Clear fire hazards, such as brush, from around your home.
People need to clear fire hazards from around their homes. Meacham said that firefighters won't risk their lives defending a property if the owner failed to clear brush or other fire hazards.
Residents are also encouraged to plan ahead. Officials suggest registering phones for alerts using the county emergency app and developing a fire plan.
"Imagine having to leave your home in 15 minutes," said Holly Crawford, director of Office of Emergency Services. "That's what thousands of residents in our community faced both in 2003 and 2007. They may have received a knock at the door. They may have received an AlertSanDiego call, but they had a very short time frame to get out of their house."
The key to avoiding huge conflagrations is a strong, quick response that'll keep wildfires small and inconsequential, officials said.
