By Judy Harrington
126 San Diego residents gathered recently at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on January 20 to hear vital advice from firefighters and other experts on surviving wildfires like the Los Angeles area experienced last winter.
Speakers included Alex Kane, Assistant Fire Marshal/ Wildfire Program Manager and his team members, Sierra Brown, Deputy Fire Marshal, and Helen Sylvia, Firefighter Paramedic III, as well as Carie Chouinard, San Diego’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager and Melissa Altman, Regional Preparedness Manager for the American Red Cross San Diego.
“If you’re not prepared, you become part of the problem, and the fire department has to focus on evacuations as opposed to fire suppression.” Assistant Fire Marshall Alex Kane said in urging folks to not become “part of the emergency.”
Kane explained that he is now heading up a new wildfire prevention and mitigation division of the San Diego Fire Rescue Department, focused on creating wildfire resilient communities. Among his many tips: get involved with your local fire safe council –” …they are making a difference.” San Diego county has 54 FSCs, the most of any county in the country.
Consider becoming a certified “Firewise Community,” Kane suggested, which may also result in reductions in homeowner insurance premiums. His team urged folks to go online and use the fire department’s wildfire action guide’s step by step program. You can locate it by searching for “Ready, Set, Go San Diego.”
“You are the first responder” when disaster strikes your home, Carie Chouinard, from CERT told the gathering. “Being prepared to keep yourself safe is already being part of the solution.” Ms. Chouinard’s extensive advice included having online alerts set up on your phone and knowing their sound ahead of time, and having a “Go Bag” and a “Stay Bag” in case you have to shelter in place.
“Red flag warning – that’s a notice you could actually have a wildfire creep up in your backyard,” Melissa Altman with the American Red Cross of San Diego advised, “The first 72 hours are up to you.” Speaking about her experience working at shelters, Ms. Altman said, “Some people show up and don’t even have shoes. They have no proof of ID and it’s really hard to get them on the path to recovery.” Options include saving vital documents to the cloud or storing them in a safety deposit box.
Explaining that Red Cross shelters are open to everyone, no ID required, Ms. Altmann added: “I have stayed in many shelters in my tenure; I will tell you sleeping on a cot around 100 other people can get a little uncomfortable after a few days, so have an alternate place in mind” if you can.
Numerous other important tips were provided by the speakers. Consider watching the full January 21, 2026 event videos available on Kensingtonfiresafe.org.
The “Make Wildfire Safety Your New Year’s Resolution Forum” was sponsored by the Mid-City Fire Safe Council Coalition which includes councils in Alvarado Estates, College Canyons, College East, Greater Golden Hill, Kensington, Normal Heights, and Talmadge. The program and fire safe councils are supported by the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and Greater SD Resource Conservation District, the San Diego River Conservancy, and Fire Safe Council of San Diego County.
“You are the first responder” when disaster strikes your home,”
Should I have 100 ft of hose and a hydrant wrench to tap into the hydrant right outside my house?
“If you’re not prepared, you become part of the problem, and the fire department has to focus on evacuations as opposed to fire suppression.”
We know the city doesn’t focus on evacuations based on the results of the Montezuma fire and SDSU’s inaction. How does that work? I know it doesn’t. They just tell you so.
I think it is bit hyperbolic to say the resident is the first responder but the underlying message is to evacuate as a “response”. But also leave the doors and gates unlocked so teams can gain access. So right about evacuation plans. There has been no real word on that other than labor intensive door to door knocking. Helicopter announcements are useless. Impossible in high winds and unintelligible the rest of the time.
Chris – I’m certainly not an expert re: the hose but I do know a firefighter told us not to hose down our house because (1) it could reduce water pressure to put out the fire and they use a tons of water, and (2) they don’t want you to delay getting out in the event of a fire.
You left out the Rolando Park Fire Safe Council, also one of the Mid City sponsors for this event who arranged with the Kroc Center to host this event.
Lynn – I was asked to leave Rolando Park FSC out by one of the Roland Park FSC leaders, but yes, they are a great participant in the MCFSC and worked hard on this event!
I can’t speak for the fire department, but right after the Montezuma fire two of our local fire safe councils met with SDFR officials about the evacuation issues. We learned a lot about the complications that occurred and left feeling firefighters and their leaders did everything they could given the situation. We also held a forum shortly after that. You can learn a lot more from the videos, which are at: https://www.kensingtonfiresafe.org/?s=Montezuma+fire
Speaker at the table from l-r: Carie Chouinard, City of SD Community, Emergency Response Team Manager; Melissa Altman, Regional Preparedness Manager, American Red Cross San Diego; Alex Kane, Assistant Fire Marshal/Wildfire Program Manager; Sierra Brown, Deputy Fire Marshal, and Helen Sylvia, Firefighter Paramedic III, and at the podium, Eva Yakutis, College Canyons Fire Safe Council Co-Chair.
I thought the meeting to be very informative. I especially like the video explaining the wind and trajectory Dynamics of how a flame climbs a mountain and where the safe spots are.
Does the City and MTS have protocols in place that add additional busses to transit routes at least mile away from the corporate owned High Density high rises piling on he 300% increase in population of our “walk-able communities” to safely evacuate everyone in an emergent wildfire situation right?
Nope
Thanks Judy. I had to work during the meeting but I can go to your website to check it out.
I saw the Montezuma fire from my house It was really scary how close it was and how high the flames were. I have made a special effort to keep my backyard as fire-resistant as possible.
Keep up the good work. I hope you’ll be writing this column on a regular basis to keep us informed.
I attended the Mid City Fire Safe Council meeting and was impressed with the fire safety information that was provided. This is much needed as the danger of a fire is real. The Fire Safe Councils are doing a great job.