It's still fire season!

Fallbrook has the second highest fire risk in California because of the terrain, canyons, valleys and very high combustible vegetation in the area. When Santa Ana winds are added to the mix, the danger is compounded, as was shown on February 10, 2002. The Gavilan Fire swept through the northern part of Fallbrook as the Santa Ana winds pushed flames, at times 200 feet tall. Some residents barely escaped through fire and smoke and one group sought safety in a swimming pool! By the time the fire was over, there was $25 million in damage and 47 lost homes had been lost!

Do you know what to do when wildfires returns to Fallbrook? You can! The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council and SDSU are pleased to announce a community education program for wildfire preparedness specifically for the Fallbrook, Bonsall, De Luz and Rainbow areas. The community educator, Spring Strahm, is available for community meetings, school presentations, neighborhood groups and club organizations as well as one-on-one meetings. To set up an appointment, call (760) 728-1609 Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mission Resource Conservation District (located in the FPUD building at 1181 East Mission Road) or e-mail [email protected]. Also, visit the education Web site http://www.wildfirealert.org.

The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council’s motto is “Fallbrook is not fire-proof; let’s make it fire-safe.” With that in mind, the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council partnered with SDSU on a project testing experimental fire sensors at SDSU’s Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve in Fallbrook to see if remote sensors can be used to detect wildfires as part of an early warning system. For more information on the council’s projects, visit http://www.fallbrookfiresafecouncil.org.

Volunteers are needed for ongoing projects, grant-writing, community outreach and fundraising. Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Community Baptist Church, 731 South Stage Coach Lane. For more information, contact Dorothy Roth at (760) 728-1100.