SAN DIEGO -- There is a guide map for San Diego fire victims to follow -- thanks to friendly neighbors from the north.

Bert Tibbet lost his Eaton County residence to fire several years ago, one of more than 200 homes that were destroyed or damaged.

"You have to walk in the shoes of the firestorm victims to understand," Tibbet said.

The lessons Tibbet learned back then he can share with San Diego fire victims now.

"We exchange information -- this is a major advantage to you if you know the problems that I overcame -- now you can overcome them based on my experience," Tibbet told 10News.

Members of the group calling themselves the 2003 Fire Recovery Initiative came to crest Saturday for an anything-goes question-and-answer session.

"If your neighbors don't rebuild, you are never going to get the value on your property -- not now, not in the future. It's just not going to happen," said Linda Williams, a Fire Recovery Initiative member.

It was a lesson in the basics, with a great deal of information for people to digest.

Pam Mitchell initially worried about property line issues, but now her concerns have shifted to insurance.

"But, the thing that is most disheartening to me is our insurance is only for two years for housing, and these people have told me that it's anywhere from five to seven to 10 years before they got back in their house," said Pamela Mitchell, a victim of the Cedar fires.

Mitchell has a long way to go in her rebuilding effort, but she felt connected to the group that spoke Saturday. The Eaton County fire happened almost 10 years ago to the exact date of the Cedar fire.

For more information on the booklet to help Firestorm victims from everything from insurance loans to mental health, call (858)450-1221, or log onto their Web site at www.biasandiego.org.