Fallbrook Fire Safe Council honored with award

Dorothy Roth’s hands tremble as she relates the horror of that day in 2002 when the Gavilan Fire consumed her home, her grove, her cats, dog — and almost her life. It’s the fury of that loss that drives Roth, who inarguably is the force who pushed the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council into being, and on September 30 stepped forward to honors as the council, with its ten members, was named a co-winner of the “Outstanding Fire Safe Council of the Year.” One-third of the 55 fire safe councils countywide were nominated by their fire department agencies for the honors.

Roth’s eyes flash as she says, “If there’s anything I can do to prevent someone else from going through this, I will.” Then to divert attention from herself, she praises the contribution of colleague Fred Luevano, who along with Roth was also singled out as “Volunteer of the Year.”

Fire Marshal Sid Morel of the North County Fire Protection District nominated the council and its two distinguished volunteers because of their tenacity. “They got us a $100,000 grant for weed abatement,” Morel says. As a result it protected 2,000 homes in an area of approximately 180 acres. The accomplishment is considerable. “It shows you how dedicated these persons are,” Morel adds.

Weed abatement efforts and individual property owners who plan ahead for fire prevention can shape the future of the greater Fallbrook area, Morel insists. Without those efforts, the ever-present danger of fire lurks after fire fuel growing rains pelt the California landscape. But it’s not until the devastation hits home that people feel its impact. For example, the Gavilan fire not only wiped out Roth’s possessions, it destroyed 43 other homes and structures, plus outbuildings, vehicles, treasured pets, farm animals and hundreds of acres of agriculture. In all, the financial loss to the community soared to $25.6 million and further resulted in higher insurance premiums and in some cases cancellation of fire insurance policies.

It is the efforts of fire safe councils that mitigate these disasters. In addition to the grant that provided for physical removal of fire fuels, a second grant provided for community education. Roth, Luevano and their members are responsible for getting that one too. “The fire department benefits, but more importantly the community benefits,” says Morel.

This grant provided for hiring a community educator who speaks at schools, to adult groups and at community functions such as Hot Summer Nights and the Avocado Festival. The grant also funded the Wild Fire Alert Web site designed to educate and increase awareness of fire hazards and how to be more fire safe as a community. Moreover, in partnership with San Diego State University, it provided funding for a state-of-the-art research program that is testing fire sensors for use in wild land urban areas. In June the sensors identified a small fire near Deer Springs Road and US 395 that resulted in its quick suppression. To see the sensors in action, log on to the Wild Fire Alert Web site at http://wildfirealert.sdsu.edu.

Morel speaks with heartfelt gratitude about the contributions made by the council. “This job [firefighting] is daunting at best. The council is a huge complement to the wild land component of the fire department’s efforts.” In a written statement about volunteer Roth’s enthusiastic acknowledgment of the NCFPD weed abatement department efforts, he says, “I find it ironic that she…praises people who are compensated for carrying out a program that without her ‘driving force’ efforts would not have received funding.”

Luevano, who joined the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council in 2004, brought a breadth of knowledge to the council, and as such, supports with experience and expertise the efforts of the others. He is a Certified Disaster Planner. While both he and Roth were instrumental in getting the grants, Luevano wrote the applications. In addition, he represents the council in development of the NCFPD “Community Preparedness and Evacuation Plan” mandated by the County Board of Supervisors in 2003. Ten agencies at the local and national levels are participating in this process.

Although the honor bestowed on the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council makes news, what they do for the community is more important. Roth, Luevano, their colleagues on the council and Morel believe if they can reach one person, that person will affect another and another and therein lies a challenge to residents of greater Fallbrook. Get involved, they say. Not for the honor, but for the good of keeping Fallbrook’s wild land urban landscape alive and beautiful. And, lastly, to ensure a monumental fire like the one that shattered Roth’s life never happens again.

Copies of the “Community Preparedness and Evacuation Plan” are available for copying at the Fallbrook Public Library and North County Fire Protection headquarters located at 315 East Ivy Street. A copy of the Fallbrook Emergency Evacuation Map can be downloaded at http://wildfirealert.sdsu.edu. Download a copy of the Family Disaster Plan at http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/oes/community/get_involved/cert.

To join the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council, call Dorothy Roth at (760)728-1100, reach her online at [email protected] or come to their monthly meeting the first Thursday of every month at 3 p.m. at Community Baptist Church, 731 South Stage Coach Lane.