More Rain--But No Fires This Year

I woke up to the sound of rain water gurgling off the roof and into the new drainage system yesterday morning.

We got about 15 hundredths of an inch according to the Union Trib, although it seemed like more to me.  That brings us up to over two inches since July 1st.  It's very unusual to have this much rain at this time of year, but it's very welcome; because of the rainfall, we haven't had to worry about wild fire danger this year.

October is usually a very dangerous month for fire in Southern California.  Without rain, the brush is usually so dry at this time of year that it doesn't take much to get a fire started.  When the Santa Ana winds start to blow hot, dry air in from the desert, the wind can push a fire at an incredible pace.  It takes on a life of its own, like the Fiendfyre spell in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

We used to think that we were relatively safe from them because we're surrounded by freeways.  The vast oceans of cement would keep the fires contained, so we thought.  We continued to think that way until the Cedar fire in October 2003, when we saw that fire leap across Interstate 15 and continue to race toward the ocean.  Tumbleweeds on one side of the freeway catch fire and blow across the road to set numerous fires on the other side.  That's when we brought the cat carriers up from the basement and stacked them up in the dining room, preparing to evacuate quickly if we had to do so.

Canyon Fire October 2007

Four years later, just two weeks before the major Witch Creek fire in October 2007, we had or own mini fire in the canyon behind our house.  Cindy had been to a class on wildfire that day and was telling a visiting friend about it, when she smelled smoke.  Fortunately, we discovered it before it got out of hand--there was no wind that day--and the fire department arrived promptly and got it out.

Bravo, San Diego Fire Department!

Anyway, it scared the bejazus out of us.  We've been very careful ever since about trying to keep a defensible fire space around the house, particularly in the back because, although it was across the canyon from us, with a bit of wind it could have gone anywhere in nothing flat.  So we're very happy about the rain this October.

Making Sure It's Out