Anyone living in San Diego back in 2003 and 2007 may be having flashbacks.
The terrible and deadly fires in California’s Wine Country are eerily similar to the deadly wildfires in San Diego County back in those two years.
Small wildfires quickly grew into giant wildfires that rapidly spread… fueled by warm, dry and windy conditions. Multiple fires burning at once. Homes catching fire one after another. Close to 5,000 homes in the two fires together destroyed. Some people not making it out in time. More than a half million people evacuated.
The wildfires in October of 2003 and 2007 were said to be the worst in California history. But not anymore.
The October wildfires of 2017 in Northern California, are now being called the worst the state has ever seen. And they’re still burning.
It didn’t take long for the death toll to reach 10 with worries it would go higher. Tens of thousands of acres burning and thousands of homes and businesses being destroyed. And there are already fears that the wine country fires will damage the economy as well.
Firefighters from San Diego are helping in the fight and there are others in San Diego who are reaching out to help their neighbors to the north, knowing what it’s like to go through a wildfire disaster as our county did 10 and 14 years ago.
But while we may be looking back, it’s important to look ahead and remind ourselves that we are not yet through the fall fire season when some of these worst fires have historically occurred.
And remember how important it is to always be prepared for wildfires, and always have an evacuation plan and always be ready for the wildfires of California.
(Photos Getty Images)