’Tis the season to have a plan in place

Headlines and images of the wildfires in Northern California stoke a pungent memory.

For a time in late October 2003 there were days when you could not step outside without noticing what smelled like a bonfire, even though you may have been shopping in Mission Valley or enjoying an evening stroll in Balboa Park.

There were times when bits of ash floated down and through the gray air, landing softly on shoulders and car hoods as the sun sliced through salmon colored skies and dipped into the Pacific.

For days the sunsets in San Diego County were magnificent because the smoke from the ravenous Cedar fire distorted the atmosphere just enough to mask the ugly feelings that the entire county was burning. Rome on the Pacific.

When the worst was over, 15 people were killed in fire-related deaths, more than 200,000 acres  of land were destroyed and entire neighborhoods were wiped out.

Most of the destruction then was in East County and the northern part of San Diego.

Four years later, the Witch Creek wildfire brought the fear and catastrophe closer to South County, though Chula Vista was fortunate to escape relatively unscathed and the evacuation of homes in the east half of the city were precautionary. There was enough advance warning for people to gather their belongings, fill a vehicle or two and get to safety.

From most accounts, however, the victims of the recent Northern California wildfires were not so lucky.

Forty-two deaths are attributed to the deadly conflagrations that wiped out home after home after home.

According to some news reports and social media the flames spread so quickly that people had only seconds to gather their wits and flee.

For now, San Diegans are the lucky ones. We have been spared the tragedy of community-levelling fire storms.

But given the area and climate we live in, the question of the next wildfire is not if but when.

Fortunately there is usually advance warning of fires — unlike earthquakes — and there are steps to take to insulate yourself from damage or at least be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

In the event of evacuation it’s recommended to shut windows and doors but leave them unlocked; remove flammable shades and other material from windows; shut off gas at the meter and turn off pilot lights if there is time.

When gathering items to take, a prepacked bag with important documents including bank information and ID should be readily available, though the first rule, obviously, is to get out quickly and safely.

Fire season is to California what hurricane season is to the Gulf and East Coast. It’s a fact of life that hopefully doesn’t catch us unprepared.