Fire safe projects move forward

On the third anniversary of the 2002 Gavilan Fire, a press conference was held at the site of one of the burned homes to kick off the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council’s “Thermometer” fundraising drive. The funds will be applied toward their joint “Vegetation Management” and “Vegetation Fire Buffer” projects. The goal of the fire buffer project, which will take years to implement, is to eventually surround the Fallbrook area with a vegetation fire buffer. Some funds will also be used to install and maintain early warning mechanical sirens.

The council will be placing coin boxes in local stores and will also hold fundraising events in order to collect the $300,000 needed to cover the project expenses. The Fire Safe Council’s President, Tracy Ragsdale, who lost her home in the Gavilan Fire, is confident that fire preparation is “something that everyone needs to prepare for and think about.”

Even though the press conference was dubbed “Gavilan 2002 Fire Remembrance,” the theme was one of prevention and early warning, not really remembrance. Most of the 43 families who lost their homes don’t want to remember, especially Dorothy Roth, whose house is still lying in rubble. The press conference was held at the site of the Roths’ burned home and chairs were set up in what was formerly her driveway. She hit a snag with her insurance company, which has refused to pay for rebuilding.

State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, in a press release, pledged to continue his efforts to strengthen state laws in order to better protect homes and property from wildfires such as the Gavilan Fire. As a member of the Blue Ribbon Fire Commission appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hollingsworth proposed legislation to set fire safety as a priority and increase the brush zone clearances around homes and structures from 30 feet to 300 feet (SB 1255). However, this bill was defeated and a weaker law was passed which increased the barrier to just 100 feet.

One of the principal speakers for the event was Dr. Claudia Lake of San Diego State University’s Technology Opportunity Program, who is promoting the use of technology for early warning systems. “The sensor network will alert the public and emergency response personnel to dangerous weather conditions, locate and report ignitions, provide a basis for community preparedness programs and allow us to pursue our common goals of educating the public and safeguarding lives and property.”

Ms. Vera Mount of Ambient Corporation, the company that manufacturers the early warning system that will be installed in the Fallbrook area, is confident that her product will save lives and property by detecting a fire with an infra-red sensor, then transmitting the address to the fire station. The units have a ten- to twenty-year life and are solar-powered with enough energy stored to work at night. Seven units are now protecting the historical city of Deadwood, SD, and the next units will be installed in Fallbrook during the next three to four weeks.

“We are focused on protecting communities with significant historical assets,” said Jonathan Luck, also of Ambient Systems, who developed the early warning device. “It’s a 24/7 emergency response network,” he added. The units can also be purchased by homeowners.

Chief Steve Abbott of the North County Fire Protection District mentioned that the district is working on making the community safer than it was three years ago and this early warning system is part of that effort. “This is a big step in the right direction,” he said. “It’s one more link in the chain to make the community safe.” Chief Abbott also warned the citizens that our community is as much at risk now as it was three years ago. “The only thing worse than a tragedy like this is having it repeat itself,” he said.

The early warning sensors are being made available through a grant from the US Department of Commerce’s Technology Opportunity Program and will be installed on an existing wireless sensor network at San Diego State University’s Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. These sensors will serve as sentinels for both early detection of wildfire and for pinpointing the specific location of a fire. In addition to the sensor network, weather stations and remote cameras will be installed to further monitor fire conditions in the interface area and a real-time Web site will provide emergency personnel and the general public with access to the sensors’ network data.

The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council is a non-profit organization. Tax-deductible donations may be sent to PO Box 763, Fallbrook, CA 92088. Also, volunteers are always needed to help accomplish the goal to make Fallbrook fire safe. The next meeting of the council will be held at the Community Baptist Church at 3 p.m. on March 10. Interested parties may call (760) 451-9848 or access the Web site http://www.fallbrookfiresafecouncil.org.