First of all you are “new” to San Diego and as many newbies “ill informed.” If you were informed you would now that Southern California “wild fires” are caused by only one thing . . . strong Santa Ana winds. There may be many other fires caused by a variety of sources doing damage to a one to a couple of homes here or there but, the only cause of “wild fires” which cause the loss of hundrends of homes is . . . the “Santa Ana” winds. As a “new” and “ill informed” “newby” to San Diego let me educate you. Santa Ana winds are caused by a high pressure system over the Great Basin (Southern Nevada and Southern Utah). See here for more on “Santa Ana” winds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_wind . Santa Ana winds have one consistent characteristic . . . they blow to the west from the east. They are an “offshore” wind. Every place that has EVER lost large numbers of homes in a “Santa Ana” firestorm has had undeveloped areas of brush and wild land to the east of it.
4S Ranch is virtually immune to Santa Ana driven firestorms for two basic reasons: 1) All of Carmel Mountain Ranch and Poway are immediately to the east of most of 4S Ranch except the very northern edge of 4S. For any wildfire to affect the 15-20 miles of suburban development represented by Carmel Mountain Ranch and all of Poway would have to burn to the ground first. 2) 4S is built with fire safe features that no other homes in all of San Diego possess, aside from a few other communities built with the same standards. See story here http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071025/news_1n25stay.html#. Other communities designed with the same features but were directly in the path of the fire emerged totally unscathed. See here http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/weekinreview/28odonnell.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin. The Fire Marshall for 4S Ranch recommends you DO NOT EVACUATE in the even of a wildfire. Your risk of getting in your car and attempting to navigate the roads while everyone else who doesn’t live in a “shelter in place” of exceeds the risk of staying. Its so safe there is no need to evacuate. See here http://www.rsf-fire.org/education/programs/adult_shelterinplace.asp.
Finally, the most recent fires were considered the worst on record. A particular shelter in place community, Cielo, was directly in the path of said fire. Not a single home was damaged. The worst wild fire in record burned up to the community, burned around it, and left it completely undamaged by fire. The fire then continued beyond Cielo to burn dozens of homes in Rancho Santa Fe. http://www.rsf-fire.org/assets/documents/education/preparedness/SIP_for_web.pdf
Your ignorance is excused . . . as you say you are “newtosandiego.” But as a “newby” get informed before you come on here claiming to be some kind of “professional” spewing incorrect facts. If you want your family to be safe from fires . . . buy in shelter in place community like 4S.
