San Diego County is doing its part to prepare for the Santa Ana fire season and urging neighbors in the rural back country to get ready as well.
“In May, San Diego County was hit hard by a series of wildfires and this fall could even be tougher,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said Wednesday.
Some of the largest wildfires in California history have happened in the San Diego area during October. Both the 2003 and 2007 wildfires were fanned by strong, gusty, Santa Ana winds which are common during this time of year, Jacob said.
“Fighting fires takes boots on the ground, it takes aerial muscle, like helicopters and tankers. It also takes preparation for each and everyone of us,” she said.
So far this year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has responded to far more wildfires due to the state's three-year drought. Jacob said collaboration between public and private agencies has been vital to enhancing the county's firefighting capability.
“San Diego County is doing its part. Since 2003, we've spent more than $285 million on fire protection improvements, but the region needs to step up its game even more, as we prepare for the next major wildfire,” Jacob said.
