10 Years After Cedar Fire: Lessons Learned And Stories Of Survival

This month we mark the 10th anniversary of San Diego's Cedar wildfire. Anyone who was in San Diego in 2003 will not be able to forget that raging fire, which darkened the sky for days, blanketed downtown in ash and burned blocks of homes in multiple communities including Julian, Wildcat Canyon in Lakeside, Alpine and Scripps Ranch. The fire was fanned by strong Santa Ana winds and fueled by dry brush. At one point, it even jumped Interstate-15.

The Cedar Fire caused a week of terror and loss for San Diego and remains the worst wildfire in state history.

"The Fire Outside My Window," by Sandra Younger, recalls those frightening days and what we've learned from them. The new book is written by one of the survivors of the wildfire.

We hear from the author and from Cal Fire about lessons learned during the Cedar Fire and what's changed since.

Plus, are we prepared for another wildfire the magnitude of the Cedar Wildfire? Deputy Fire Chief Kelly Zombro offers tips on how to keep your home safe from wildfires.

Want more KPBS news?
Find us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up for our newsletters. + Subscribe to our podcasts

To view PDF documents, Download Acrobat Reader.