LAKESIDE, Calif. (KGTV) – With fire season year-round in San Diego County, a group of men from the East County Transitional Living Center is hard at work hoping to prevent fires.
"These people are helping me out because I can't afford to pull down these trees, and they're doing it for me," said Lakeside resident Vicki Gale.
Gale has lived at her home for nearly four decades, and she said the fire department sent her a letter telling her the trees and dry brush surrounding her home were a fire hazard.
"If any of that ignited, the garage is gone [and] the house is gone," she pointed out.
Gale called the East County Transitional Living Center for help. The group is a nonprofit that helps people transition out of homelessness by providing shelter and skills to ensure they stay off the streets through work therapy.
"This one is our vegetation crew, so they go out and they clean defensible space for the fire department," said East County Transitional Living Center CEO Dr. Julie Hayden. "So much of the community, especially Lakeside and El Cajon, Santee, has poured into us to have us exist, so it's great to give back."
Hayden said the crew has helped hundreds of homeowners like Gale over the years.
For more information on the East County Transitional Living Center and their programs, visit https://ectlc.org.
