In East County San Diego, wildfire isn’t a remote threat—it’s a recurring reality. Our subregion, which includes Crest, Harbison Canyon, Dehesa, and Granite Hills, ranks among the top 1% of wildfire-prone areas in the entire United States. That’s not an abstract statistic—it’s a daily concern for everyone who lives here.
That’s why our Planning Group took action. On September 9, 2024, we unanimously adopted a comprehensive package of seven wildfire-focused resolutions -- each designed to integrate wildfire resilience into the fabric of land use planning, evacuation policy, and community preparedness.
We’re no longer treating fire safety as a side issue. From now on, wildfire risk reduction is our top planning priority.
Using Land Use Planning to Drive Wildfire Resilience
At the heart of our action plan is a clear principle: land use planning must reduce—not compound—wildfire risk. Our resolutions advise the County of San Diego to revise our Community Plan accordingly, making wildfire risk reduction central to zoning, development standards, transportation capacity, and open space management.
Key elements include:
Mandatory defensible space and vegetation clearance requirements for new developments.
Use of Class A fire-rated roofs, ember-resistant vents, tempered glass windows, and fire-resistant materials.
Landscaping rules** that limit flammable vegetation and encourage erosion-safe defensible space.
Integration of wildfire risk into all land use decisions, including the siting of new development in relation to fuel loads, slope, and evacuation access.
Fixing Evacuation Routes Before the Next Fire Hits
Our resolutions also make it clear that evacuation planning must match the threat we face. Crest, for example, has long been served by only one primary evacuation route—La Cresta Road—while the most dangerous fires often approach from the east. We called on the County to take urgent action to:
Upgrade Suncrest Truck Trail to serve as a reliable, 24/7, all-weather evacuation route.
Secure the remaining easements needed to complete this vital corridor.
Establish fuel breaks and maintain vegetation clearance along major roads including La Cresta, Harbison Canyon Road, Dehesa Road, Mountain View Road, and Willow Glen Drive.
In short: we must be able to get people out and firefighters in. That requires better roads, better signage, and clear evacuation plans for every community.
Community Engagement and Firewise Preparedness
Planning and infrastructure are critical—but community involvement is just as essential. Our resolutions advise:
Holding at least one annual public event on wildfire preparedness and evacuation.
Encouraging every neighborhood in our region to become a recognized Firewise USA community, tapping into the national program that fosters local risk assessment, fuel management, and public education.
We also formally recognized the extraordinary work of the Crest Fire Safe Council, whose leadership on public education and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan continues to make our area safer.
Next Steps: Updating the Community Plan
The County’s current Community Plan for our area is outdated—it doesn’t reflect the fire science, land use realities, or infrastructure challenges of today. That’s why our Planning Group has formally requested the Board of Supervisors to:
Initiate a major update of the Community Plan, incorporating all wildfire-related revisions we submitted.
If resources aren’t yet allocated, adopt our wildfire-related revisions immediately as amendments to the current plan.
We also called for a complete update of the Stoneridge County Preserve Resource Management Plan, after a site visit confirmed that required fuel reduction and trail maintenance had not been implemented—posing an unnecessary hazard to surrounding neighborhoods.
This package of resolutions reflects a comprehensive, proactive, and locally driven approach to wildfire risk. It brings together policy, infrastructure, education, and interagency coordination.
The message from our Planning Group is simple: We will not wait for the next catastrophe. We are planning for fire—intelligently, urgently, and together.
If you live in our community and want to get involved, now is the time. Wildfire resilience starts with good planning—and planning starts with us.
That’s why our Planning Group took action. On September 9, 2024, we unanimously adopted a comprehensive package of seven wildfire-focused resolutions -- each designed to integrate wildfire resilience into the fabric of land use planning, evacuation policy, and community preparedness.
We’re no longer treating fire safety as a side issue. From now on, wildfire risk reduction is our top planning priority.
Using Land Use Planning to Drive Wildfire Resilience
At the heart of our action plan is a clear principle: land use planning must reduce—not compound—wildfire risk. Our resolutions advise the County of San Diego to revise our Community Plan accordingly, making wildfire risk reduction central to zoning, development standards, transportation capacity, and open space management.
Key elements include:
Mandatory defensible space and vegetation clearance requirements for new developments.
Use of Class A fire-rated roofs, ember-resistant vents, tempered glass windows, and fire-resistant materials.
Landscaping rules** that limit flammable vegetation and encourage erosion-safe defensible space.
Integration of wildfire risk into all land use decisions, including the siting of new development in relation to fuel loads, slope, and evacuation access.
Fixing Evacuation Routes Before the Next Fire Hits
Our resolutions also make it clear that evacuation planning must match the threat we face. Crest, for example, has long been served by only one primary evacuation route—La Cresta Road—while the most dangerous fires often approach from the east. We called on the County to take urgent action to:
Upgrade Suncrest Truck Trail to serve as a reliable, 24/7, all-weather evacuation route.
Secure the remaining easements needed to complete this vital corridor.
Establish fuel breaks and maintain vegetation clearance along major roads including La Cresta, Harbison Canyon Road, Dehesa Road, Mountain View Road, and Willow Glen Drive.
In short: we must be able to get people out and firefighters in. That requires better roads, better signage, and clear evacuation plans for every community.
Community Engagement and Firewise Preparedness
Planning and infrastructure are critical—but community involvement is just as essential. Our resolutions advise:
Holding at least one annual public event on wildfire preparedness and evacuation.
Encouraging every neighborhood in our region to become a recognized Firewise USA community, tapping into the national program that fosters local risk assessment, fuel management, and public education.
We also formally recognized the extraordinary work of the Crest Fire Safe Council, whose leadership on public education and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan continues to make our area safer.
Next Steps: Updating the Community Plan
The County’s current Community Plan for our area is outdated—it doesn’t reflect the fire science, land use realities, or infrastructure challenges of today. That’s why our Planning Group has formally requested the Board of Supervisors to:
Initiate a major update of the Community Plan, incorporating all wildfire-related revisions we submitted.
If resources aren’t yet allocated, adopt our wildfire-related revisions immediately as amendments to the current plan.
We also called for a complete update of the Stoneridge County Preserve Resource Management Plan, after a site visit confirmed that required fuel reduction and trail maintenance had not been implemented—posing an unnecessary hazard to surrounding neighborhoods.
This package of resolutions reflects a comprehensive, proactive, and locally driven approach to wildfire risk. It brings together policy, infrastructure, education, and interagency coordination.
The message from our Planning Group is simple: We will not wait for the next catastrophe. We are planning for fire—intelligently, urgently, and together.
If you live in our community and want to get involved, now is the time. Wildfire resilience starts with good planning—and planning starts with us.
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