SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The holiday decorations are on the front lawn, and the lights are up. But many neighbors in Talmadge are staying prepared after being forced to evacuate just weeks ago due to the Fairmount fire, as Santa Ana winds are expected to make their way to the region.
“I feel concerned about it, but I don't think about it every time, but I do think about it a fair amount,” says Afton Miller, who has lived in this neighborhood for 30 years.
As of Saturday, The National Weather Service in San Diego issued a Red Flag Warning for strong, gusty Santa Ana winds that start on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Wednesday. However, neighbors like Miller are staying vigilant and aware of what they can do during this time of the year.
"I think it's really important that everybody get their defensive space done and they get their houses fire-hardened, and they make their backyards accessible to the firemen," she says.
And it starts with her own home as well.
"My to-do list which is to make my house more fire-harden, which means changing single-pane windows to double-pane windows, getting some kind of blockage underneath the decks, and getting rid of any wood on the house -- no wood furniture outside."
While some often think the cooler temperatures in the winter mean the end of hot and dry fire weather, Cal Fire says it's a year-round preparation.
"We're trying to get away from the term fire season and incorporate 'fire year,' Fire Captain Michael Cornette with Cal Fire explains. "We've had large devastating wildland fires every month of the year."
While it’s considered the most wonderful time of the year, it can still be the riskiest for decorations like lights.
According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, fire departments responded to an average of 835 home fires per year that started with decorations that resulted in roughly $14 million in property damage.
Captain Cornette says Cal Fire is on a higher alert due to the Santa Ana winds that roll around this time of year.
"Yeah, anytime we have that Santa Ana wind. We're in a real dry period right now, we haven't had a whole lot of rain. So our crews are going to be on a heightened alert, and we're going to be actively engaged in fire operations when those happen.
Crews and neighbors both are staying proactive.
"I just think, you know, I have to say this: I do think that it's inevitable that there's gonna be more fires."
