Fire zone data courtesy of Califoria Fire & Resource and Assessment Program With this map, you can correlate climate zone info, fire risk zones, and the major fire events of 2003 & 2007.

Basic Fire Info
Most of western San Diego County gets less than ten inches of rain per year, which means that it's a dry place. The winds dominantly blow in from the ocean, which is why the climate is so cool (see our page on micro climates). Those dominant ocean breezes bring moisture (with higher humidity in the marine zone). Sometimes, a high pressure area can occur which causes the wind direction to flip and the winds blow from east to west instead of off the ocean, and you will head locals refer to these winds as "Santa Ana winds," named for these winds that come through the Santa Ana mountains in Orange County. [Click here for more info on Santa Ana winds.] These winds are EXTREMELY dry and the low humidity will dry out the vegetation over which the winds pass.

If these winds come in the spring, they can be cool and dry; the spring winds are uneventful because the winter is the wet season and the vegetation is green. However, when the winds come in the autumn, often in October, the plants are already typically dry because of the low rainfall during the summer. This very dried out plant matter creates VERY hazardous fire conditions. Should a fire get started, the strong winds, some having 45 mph gusts or more, will nurse the fire's growth and throw burning embers forward into fresh firestarting material.

The strong winds not only fan the fires, they make the fire fighting very difficult. The firefighters often have to work laterally along the fire as it is unsafe to move in front of it. Fire fighting planes and helicopters can be grounded if the winds are extreme. Reports suggest that the fires have three main initial sources: 1) accidental man-made fires (kids with matches, a lost hunter starting a fire to send a signal his whereabouts, etc.); 2) lightning strikes; 3) electical wires being downed/blown from high winds and causing sparks; and 4) sometimes arson.

Greatest Risk Areas
The California Fire Resource Assessment Program has created a map of fire risk, and we have overlaid upon it the fire coverage of 2003 and 2007 and the climate zones (marked in large numbers and separated by green lines) from our climate map. Their risk assessment seems to be accurate in the sense that most of the areas labels "very high" (red) and "extreme" (purple), burned in the 2003 and 2007 fire seasons. The classifications describe "expected fire frequency with potential fire behavior." It should be noted that many hundreds of acres of areas of moderate risk were consumed in these major fires. Suffice it to say, it's better to live in an area of moderate risk nowhere near the very high and extreme risk areas.

Future Risks
Based on our understanding of the risks, we have identifed two large areas where there may be a high risk of fire destruction in the next few years. As noted by the circles in the image to the left, these two areas have high risk assessments COUPLED with the fact that both areas have had fuel buildup over the past ten years (i.e., both areas escaped the 2003 and 2007 fires, leaving their fuel sources in supply). If you buy a home in these areas (or in any high risk zone), you should take particular caution to manage your risk. More information on home-based fire reduction appears below.

Climate Change and Fire
The scientists at UCSD are predicting that the fire seasons will get worse, and we will see major fire seasons cause large-scale property damage. Whether climate change is a natural even or man-made, the fact is that fires are burning at higher elevations than ever before. This is because the snow pack is melting earlier, resulting in the vegetation drying out for a longer fire season. So, TAKE THE CALIFORNIA FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT seriously; the risks are not likely to go down any time soon. Click here for more info.

WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE?
Here are some practical tips about what you can do to minimize your fire risk.
Tip #1 - Minimize ANY vegetation within 30 feet of your home. This will avoid the embers from these plants flying up into your eaves and catching your house on fire.
Tip #2 - Keep brush cleared away from your home for an additional 70 feet. This will hopefull allow any wildfire to move past your yard if it comes through and will also allow firefighters to contain flames approaching your home more easily.
Tip #3 - Keep tree limbs more than 10 feet away from any chimney so that sparks from your chimney do not start a fire.

Moonlight Beach in a Smokey Haze

Rancho Santa Fe Fire

Tip #4 - Remove all tree limbs that hang over your home. This will help avoid having a burning limb fall onto your home.
Tip #5 - Remove all leaves/needles/debris from your roof and rain gutters.
Tip #6 - When cutting weeds/dry grass, do so before 10am when humidity is higher to avoid a spark from the lawn mower or cutter starting a fire.

Additional Reading
Here are some links for more information.
Homeowner's Checklist for Fire Safety
California Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Cal Fire Home Page
San Diego County Emergency Web Site