San Diego real estate blog - Peter Toner

San Diego is burning, the perfect storm conditions of Santa Anna winds, humidity of less than 10% and the driest conditions for over 130 years combined to provide the life for any fire to burn uncontrollably.

Could any of this have been prevented? With these sort of climatic changes, unfortunately not.

We did indeed learn from the fires of 2003, the agencies involved solved most of the communication issues and command structures between different firefighting units and the relief/evacuations centers have been a model for others.

HOWEVER - much of this could have been prevented if Cal Fire have made more use of San Diego’s extensive military resources - the Marines at Camp Pendleton and MCAS Mirimar, the Navy at North Island Coronado. Grey Davis our previous Governor refused to allow the military to assist in 2003. Much was done since to qualify military pilots for civilian firefighting.

On this occasion the Navy was standing by with 12 helicopters equipped to assist – but Cal Fire would only allow two helicopters to fly because they insisted that a fire Captain “spotter” accompany each flight to co-ordinate with the ground.

HELLO! With 10 more helicopters we could have for instance; extinguished the fire around the east of Lake Hodges and that would have prevented the fire leaping down Del Dios Highway and burning it’s way through Rancho Santa Fe and threatening Del Mar, Carmel Valley and Solana Beach. Not to mention the other fires that raged ocross the county.

Duncan Hunter & Darrell Issa have since gone to bat for San Diego residents (story in San Diego Union Tribune) and got approval for the Marines to fly their helicopters (see picture) without spotters – unfortunately it’s too late to save hundred of homes lost just yesterday. Another Union Tribune story here; also critical of the lack of co-ordination.

Our hearts go out to those affected and we sincerely wish that some good comes from the ashes ….

Written by Peter Toner