San Diego County’s diverse terrain means some areas are more vulnerable to the risk of wildfire. Jamul is one such area that has been the setting of significant fires, including the 2003 Cedar Fire and the 2007 Witch Fire.
The area is beautiful, but dry. Darren and Teresa Greenhalgh’s Jamul home sits at the very end of a long driveway, perched on a hill that is flanked by open preserve on three sides.
The hills of The Hollenback Canyon Wildlife Area have succumbed to wildfire in the past. Teresa’s family bought the property in 1973, a few years after the Laguna Fire burned the area. And in the decades since then, the Greenhalghs have experienced other fires.
“The Harris Fire broke out that October in 2007, and everything burned except what was in the circle driveway. So, the brand new house, propane tank, the well — it was this green oasis in the middle of sheer decimation around us,” Teresa Greenhalgh said.
That’s why the couple takes hardening their home very seriously, and are taking part in Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Defensible Space Program.
Their current house was built in 2014, with fire-resistant features, but new rules have been put into place since then.
“Now, we're having to redo things and rethink things because we're trying to be in compliance with that new zero to five feet zone,” Teresa Greenhalgh said.
They’ve been clearing their home in compliance with ember-resistent “Zone 0,” which prohibits items like furniture, debris, or fencing within five feet of a structure.
KPBS met them on the day when they were going to find out how well they’ve done in their efforts, and what they still need to do, through an inspection by Cal Fire.
“Work is never done,” Darren Greenhalgh said before the inspection. “I am sure that there are going to be things that she's going to put on the list that I'm going to have to add to my list.”
“She” is Cal Fire Forest Technician Brandi McLaughlin, who inspects homes in San Diego County for the Defensible Space Program. Just as an ember finds the weak points of a home, her job is to do the same.
“Working in these areas since 2000, I've seen most of this hillside burn,” McLaughlin said. “And then the vegetation comes back, and then it'll burn again and come back. And so that's why we need that defensible space. Because no matter what, fire will always come back.”
But even if fire always comes back, there are things homeowners can do to protect their homes.
Before this inspection, Darren Greenhalgh had already completed a long list of home hardening defenses, including installing double paned windows with tempered glass, as well as metal vents, gutters, and downspouts. He also installed a sprinkler system in the house and does not have continuous vegetation growing outside to allow a line of fire. And he moved his plastic trash cans away from the side of the house and placed them behind a block wall. This protects the home from combustible items that could easily ignite.
Greenhalgh said he paid for some of these improvements using a Sunrise Powerlink Fire Mitigation grant, a program funded by San Diego Gas and Electric as part of the approval to build the Sunrise Powerlink electrical transmission line in 2010. Greenhalgh received the maximum rebate of $2,60.80. He said he also saved 15% on his home insurance by making improvements since his last inspection.
“Let's take a walk around. And that way we can point out any violations that you have,” McLaughlin told the Greenhalghs. “What we're looking for, especially in San Diego, is we have our first zone, which is Zone One, and it's that first 50 feet of clearance. And that's what we're going to look at first along with the extension of Zone Two which is your 50- to 100-foot zone.”
McLaughlin points to large rosemary bushes growing in the front yard and says, “Everything looks great. You have separation between some of your plants. Everything is not bundled together. You have great separation.”
She points to the enclosed eaves around the house, indicating they are resistant to embers. She said vent holes are the easy way in.
“Sometimes erratic winds, a lot of embers will fly and they'll get into these teeny little crevices. And then that's where that fire starts,” McLaughlin said. “Just imagine those embers that crawl across the ground and they get into those vents. So, that's where we need to have the grate to where it's one-eighth.” The smaller vent holes make it harder for embers to make their way into the crawl space or attic, where they can start a fire.
McLaughlin walks to the propane tank and makes some suggestions. “When it comes to propane tanks, we want to have that bare mineral soil cleared 10 feet,” she said.
She points in every direction around the tank and advises, “Anything that's hanging over, be it the trees, those have got to be limbed up and removed.”
She picks a handful of dried-out vegetation up off the ground and tells Greenhalgh it should be cleared.
The Greenhalgh's defensive measures include reflective pavement markers on their driveway, to make it easy to find their way out in smoky or dark conditions. Those markers will also help fire crews to make their way in and find the two hydrants on the property.
“I love this piece of property. And so I just feel like I am capable of doing enough preventative things to keep it safe,” Teresa Greenhalgh said.
Teresa is also the coordinator of the San Diego County Fire Community Response Team, or CERT. “For me, our big message is registering for alerts and preparing for evacuations,” she said.
She worries that some people might be complacent about preparation because firefighters have been so quick to respond to wildfires. "They're sending everything out, " she said, "but still, you need to take care of your family and your pets."
Cal Fire and San Diego County Fire’s message: hardening your home — for yourself, your neighbors, and firefighters — is the first line of defense.
