SAN DIEGO FIRESTORMS

The last month has been an extremely tough time for Southern California and the city of San Diego. The fires have just devastated the entire area and it feels as though each member of our community has been affected in one way or another.

We knew a couple days before that the Santa Ana winds were coming and the forecast was hot and dry but that’s about all the warning we had. Basically, all we knew was that conditions could be dangerous. The overall mood was initially one of shock because the fire started quickly and it didn't waste any time. It was moving so quickly in fact, that evacuees didn't have time to pack anything.

The evacuation was one of the most organized and efficient things that I have ever seen, due to the combined efforts of the media, police, fire department and reverse 911 calls. The communication between officials and residents was well handled through the media (internet, TV, and radio). It was truly amazing to see the outpouring of help that people gave each other in a time like this.

Fortunately, my home was about 15 miles from where the fire was burning, so while we were affected by smoke and ash, we were relatively safe from worrying that our house was in imminent danger. We had friends who were not so lucky, however, and we opened our doors to them during their 2 day mandatory evacuation period. Thankfully, we found out by the end of the week that both of their homes were still standing and more importantly, undamaged by the fires that claimed some of their neighbors' homes.

There was relatively little warning that the fires were coming, and the speed and ferocity with which they spread opened our community's eyes to how dangerous these situations can be. I remember waking up on Monday, October 22nd glued to the TV as at least 8 wildfires violently spread through the county.

Thankfully, San Diego County was prepared and with the resources of our county, state, and country, will recover 110% and be ready for fire seasons to come. I truly believe that the rest of the country can learn from the actions taken by the San Diego community to help prepare for situations like this in the future.