SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On this day two years ago, the Chaparral Fire ignited – burning 1,400 acres and threatening 2,000 homes.
CalFire San Diego shared photos on social media reflecting back on the massive wildfire and urged San Diegans to take extra precautions as parts of the county face triple-digit heat this week.
“It doesn't take much, especially in this heat, to get into a really bad situation,” said Captain Brent Pascua, Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire.
Captain Pascua was one of the firefighters who responded to the Chaparral Fire two years ago.
“I just remember getting to the fire…it wasn’t that windy. It wasn’t until it started creating its own wind…things got really extreme and erratic quickly,” he said.
Pascua says the conditions that day were similar to what San Diego is experiencing across the county this week.
“We have the heat, we have the topography, this little bit of breeze…and we could have a major fire on our hands. So we all have to be careful,” he said.
As their teams are on high alert, he says it’s a reminder for San Diegans to have an evacuation plan in place and to clear any flammable brush from their property, which may be overgrown from the recent rainy season.
“We got all that beautiful green grass and green brush, but with this heat, that grass dies off, and now it’s fuel for fires. So it’s out there, it’s dangerous, and we have to do our part to be safe.”
