Wildfire season is upon us and the losses appear to be much greater than those suffered in 2003. Everyone has been personally affected or knows someone who has. My brother, his family and his mother-in-law were evacuated from their houses.
Fortunately, we have not been given evacuation orders, but we packed our minivan and sat tight yesterday. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, as the saying goes. It’s easy to feel that the worst won’t happen to me, but I think it would be only under the most catastrophic circumstances that our house would burn, such as those of the Oakland Hills fires where emergency services simply didn’t have the resources to protect structures. Which is, of course, a possibility, but we’re not on the edge of a canyon and fire would have to consume hundreds of houses before it would reach us.
Last year I went on an air purifier bender. I think my wife was a bit dubious about whether they are worth the somewhat considerable expense, but I think we are both thankful to have them now. The air outside is thick with ash and smoke and while we are all getting a bit of cabin fever inside, the air is considerably cleaner inside than out.
San Diego’s emergency services have done an extraordinary job. The fires in 2003 seemed to take everyone by surprise. We are far more prepared this time around and I think we are seeing fewer deaths and injuries.