Poway is starting to remove an estimated 2,500 trees along fire evacuation routes.
The project was years in the making. The city got nearly $2 million from two Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazardous Tree Removal Mitigation grants to remove mostly dead or dying trees on two major evacuation routes.
The main areas where trees will be removed are Twin Peaks Road, Espola Road and Green Valley Open Space.
“It absolutely could be a matter of life and death,” said Jenna Stein, Poway's emergency preparedness program manager.
Poway was devastated by wildfires in the past, namely the Cedar Fire in 2003 and the Witch Creek Fire in 2007.
"We lost homes during both of those fires and the threat continues to this day. It's a part of where we live," she said. "The countryside is beautiful, but there is an inherent fire risk. That doesn't mean that we have to sit back and do nothing."
Audrey Koble is glad the city is proactively clearing the trees, especially the eucalyptus trees.
“A fire hazard for sure,” she said.
Koble lives on Peachwood Court and her backyard abuts Twin Peaks Road. She remembers the chaos of fleeing with her husband and two children in the Cedar Fire.
“I had them lined up in single file. We had to go north," Koble said. "The freeway was jam-packed. I would hate to see that happen again.”
She said in addition to the fire risk, eucalyptus trees also pose other dangers. A couple of years back, a eucalyptus branch broke and fell onto her yard.
"I would say, from the wall ... at least 45 feet onto the patio," Koble said. "And that could have endangered lives."
The trees slated for removal are marked with either blue dots or white dots. The white ones were from the initial assessment by a certified arborist. The blue ones were added later.
“We're really focusing on those specific trees that pose a hazard," Stein said. "Trees that are dead or dying or that have an improper growth structure.”
The city hopes to have most of the trees removed by the end of the year.
