This week, I have had detailed conversations with our SDFD Chief Logan, SDPD Chief Wahl, SD Lifeguards Chief Gartland, and SDGE about the fire risks we have had this week with high winds. The collaboration across divisions of public safety professionals and with SDGE is admirable. If a fire occurs, all staff are ready and alert for deployment to assist. I’ve been assured that across the San Diego region, government agencies are in constant communication and resources are strategically placed at this moment to address issues quickly and safely.

I am grateful to our public safety employees who are on watch this week, particularly our firefighters. We will continue to monitor District 7, which has thousands of homes and businesses along the wildland urban interface on the east part of San Diego.

A key to safety is public readiness. Every household should have a plan for a worst-case scenario, including a bag of necessities, a plan to get family, pets & irreplaceable belongings into your vehicle quickly, a tank full of gas or a charged car battery. The “Ready, Set, Go!” guide from SDFD comprehensively lays out steps that you can take to be ready.

In addition, the Union-Tribune put out a good article this week that lists alert notification systems you can sign up for so that you’re sure to be notified as quickly as possible in the case of fire danger.

Please check in on friends & family in rural areas of the region that may have had their electricity shut off to reduce the risk of fire. Folks with health & mobility concerns or who live far from resources can’t be left behind.

And to our friends and family and neighbors up in Los Angeles County and across California, I am praying that the winds change, your communities are safe, & that the first responders who are doing all they can are successful and safe themselves.

Many folks continue to express concern about areas of overgrown vegetation, especially in the wake of the fire danger we are seeing this week. Please know that if you see overgrown vegetation in the community, the best thing to do is use the City’s Get it Done app to flag it for city staff. Additionally, please feel free to let our office know about any overgrown vegetation issues by using our contact form.

As we assess the immediate fire situation that we find ourselves in this week, it’s also important to reflect on what we can do in the longer run to make sure that San Diego is prepared for and resilient against fires.

First off: continuing to ensure that our Fire Department is well-staffed and well-resourced. Firefighters can’t do their best work when they are overworked and stretched thin. I will continue to prioritize public safety, including all our first responders, for the way that your tax dollars are spent.

Piggybacking on the above, we need to hire many more people to conduct brush management. The current wait times on clearing overgrown vegetation are unacceptable. I’ve worked to address this all throughout my years in office, including through my budget asks to the Mayor, as well as by making the City a more attractive place to work overall so that we can fill more vacant positions. 

Finally: making sure our communities are as well-defended against fires as possible. We all should be certain that our homes are resilient against fires, most importantly in “zone zero,” or the area from 0-5 feet away from your home. This link from CalFire provides helpful info about how to protect your home.

Save the date: I’ll be hosting four town halls across the District in late January and early February! To RSVP, email vvettiyil@sandiego.gov or use this link. Look forward to seeing you there.

Amongst all of the incredibly sad and distressing news coming out of Los Angeles this week, there have been a few stories of courage and humanity that have caught my eye. This CNN article highlights a few of these stories, like people helping out total strangers or the many first responders who have done an incredible job saving lives.

To all the people who have shown incredible bravery and kindness throughout these frightening moments, thank you for your heroism.