Fire Chief's Report: getting out early is key to surviving wildfire

Steve Abbott

North County Fire Protection District

We have been asked how could so many fatalities have occurred during the recent Northern California wildfires. An Oct. 21 New York Times article (see link below) entitled "How California’s Most Destructive Wildfire Spread, Hour by Hour" provides a good overview.

It can be seen that the Tubbs fire traveled up to 3-4 miles per hour, which equates to nearly 6 feet per second – certainly faster than most of us could run in brush-covered hilly terrain surrounded by darkness, smoke and embers.

Unfortunately, fires such as the Tubbs – blazes that include conflagrations within urbanized areas – are increasingly becoming the norm across the nation. Many of those that succumbed in these fires were elderly and/or had little if any warning. That notwithstanding, such aggressive rates of fire spread underscore the importance of getting out early and refraining from staying behind to defend one’s home.

While “reverse 9-1-1” systems are not foolproof, registering your phones on Alert San Diego will increase the likelihood of being able to get out in advance of such wind-driven fires, many of which have occurred during the fall and winter months in San Diego County.

Here's the link to the NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/21/us/california-fire-damage-map.html