SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In Rancho Santa Fe, some of the new housing developments are fire shelter-in-place communities. These neighborhoods are built and maintained to a different standard, so, if it comes down to it, people can stay in their homes if it's safer than evacuating.
ABC 10News anchor Lindsey Peña spoke to the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District about what makes these homes different and when they've been put to the test.
Conor Lenehan is a deputy fire marshal for the district. He says during the Witch Creek Fire of 2007, one of the developments proved to be successful in resisting the fire.
That being said, Lenehan still recommends evacuating when these areas are under an evacuation order.
"There's no safer place than leaving an incident," he says.
Watch the full interview with Lenehan in the video player at the top of the page.
In this next video, Lenehan gives all homeowners tips on how they can make their houses more fire-resistant.
