RB Ready for Fire Season

The first thing one will notice when driving to Dawn Kastner's home on Lankeshire Way is that it's not in your typical suburban neighborhood. The lack of uniformity between each home is astonishing as it ranges from two story, coffee-colored custom homes to simple, white cottage-style houses.

The October 2007 Witch Creek wildfire tore through the neighborhood and engulfed scores of homes, leaving many residents apprehensive every time fall draws near but increasing fire preparedness beyond just fire extinguishers and emergency kits.

"All I want to do is escape the second part of October, maybe even the first week of November," Scott McClurg said. "I just get really nervous when it's dry and windy."

McClurg's home was not affected by the fire, but he has taken a variety of precautions to ensure that his home is protected. He keeps all important documents and sentimental items in one location and maintains a 50-foot defensible space around his home with all brush vegetation cleared on the property line.

Despite the rainy weather, CAL FIRE warns individuals all over the San Diego to remain alert.

"Having rain is a double-edged sword because we need the precipitation, but it also causes additional brush growth," CAL FIRE Capt. Michael Mohler said. "Southern California is in year-round fire season. That is why we call it peak and winter preparedness.

"The question is not if we will have devastating fires again but when."

Residents can visit readyforwildfire.org for preparation tips and sign up for reverse 911 calls to their cell phones at readysandiego.org.

"Residents must remember to be prepared and if asked to leave, do so early," Mohler said. "Defensible space is not only important to the homeowner but also to the firefighters when protecting their home."

For Kastner, who lost her home in 2007, taking a new approach while rebuilding her home was important.

"We built our house to be more resilient," Kastner said. "We have double pane windows, no wooden eaves and surround our house with more moist plants."

Kastner said after she lost her home the best advice she received was to immediately start a list of all her home's contents for the insurance company. She also places an emphasis on prioritizing your items.

"Decide now what you will grab and then make a list," Kastner said.

McClurg, who has worked in the insurance industry for more than 25 years, recommends that homeowners take a video of the inside of their house describing its contents.

"This aids the claims adjuster in settling the claim in the event of a total loss," he said. "It should then be stored off premises in a safe deposit box or given to a family member."

Despite the stress of losing their home, Kastner encourages others to remain upbeat and optimistic.

"The surprising thing about this event is that you realize pretty fast it's just stuff," she said. "We were all healthy and we were safe. We lost a few things we missed, but overall [the living situation issue] was the only colossal inconvenience for a year and a half. But we like our new house much better than the old one."