Mike,

We've both been over to wildfire.com, and there has been an ongoing discussion about the WUI. That is what I a refrencing as far as fire threat goes. Esperanza incident kind of hit the nail on the head. It was just 3 years ago that we lost over 2500 homes here in San Diego County, and Steve Rucker from Novato was burned to death in an over-run during strcuture protection operation.

What ticks me off about the politicians in this case, is that as early as 1986 generalized warnings were being given about the fire vulnerability here in the county. After Normal Heights Fire in 1985 (300 acres, but over 60 structures lost), I personally issued a report called "Pine Hills Wildfire Danger". This was meant to be an internal working document for CDF, USFS, local agencies and the San Diego County board of supervisors. Talk about stirring up a bunch of bees. Holy moses...They took it very serious. I did get one supervisor (out of 5) on my side. The other 4 supervisors shrugged the report off. That left a bad taste in me.

What I did like from that report is how much cooperation I received from CDF. I pointed out that the Coulter Pine stands were already being hit by Ips beetles, and predicted a major western pine beetle out break within 5 years. The following year(1987), the BOF declared the Julian area as infested. It was clear that we were going to face a massive timber fire in San Diego County. Everybody was on the same page...except...the politicians. How do you deal with a problem like that without funding? Simple. You don't.

Heres where I screwed up. I eventually wrote a certified letter to all the supervisors, and told them, "we are going to have to set San Diego County on fire, to save it from fire". Those dumbell city slickers didn't get it. They had nary a clue about what I was talking about. Every fire official in the county knew what I was saying, but the politicos??? Bambi, bambi bambi...

So I have a frustration level with politicians that is always at the break point. After all that, do I have any reason to believe that I can make a difference in eathquake hazard mitigation? Hell, let er' cut loose. Bout a 6.8 out around Anza will rattle their empty cages. But I told em' so...

Glen