SAN DIEGO - The Red Flag Warning issued for San Diego County this week serves as a grim reminder for many local families who saw their homes burn to the ground in 2007.
Rancho Bernardo resident Jenny Fonseca is one of many who had to rebuild following the October 2007 wildfires.
Fonseca can't forget the sound of the flames that consumed her home 9 years ago.
"Like a real loud roar … I heard that sound for months," she told 10News.
Every time Santa Ana winds start blowing around the county, Fonseca remembers how scared she was as she tried to escape with her young grandsons.
"They were so frightened, and my grandson says, 'I'm sorry, grandma, are we are gonna die?' And I said, 'No, we are not gonna die.' So I got them out," she said.
They got to safety, but the fire destroyed Fonseca's home.
She has since rebuilt her home using fireproof materials.
Most survivors replaced their shrubs with xeriscape plants like succulents. Those who do have bushes keep them away from the home and trimmed in hopes that if a fire does start, these plants won't spread it to their home.
