Creating defensible space

It’s perhaps an odd shift after all this rain to think about wildfires, but as any Californian knows, things will dry up again. Fires are an ever-present threat.

One basic way to protect yourself as a homeowner is to create defensible space around homes and other structures. It’s such a no-nonsense approach that it became state law in 2021.

But it hasn’t been enforced until recently. New construction must abide by the regulations beginning this month and homeowners of existing properties must do so starting next year.

In San Diego, that’s a lot of people – two-thirds of the city falls under the new category of what the state calls “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.” It’s a very red map.

What to do? Our Mireya Miner checked in with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to see what the next steps will be for enforcement. Good news on that front – there’s room for error. “We’re looking for progress, not perfection,” an assistant fire marshal said. 

CIF playoff season is upon us and whether you’re family cheering on a player or a community booster, high schools across the county are facing off in multiple sports for titles. We take a look at one of those contending teams, Santa Fe Christian High School, and its new boys basketball coach, Johnny Dee. A college and prep standout during his formative years in San Diego, Dee is coaching a player, Dax Hall, who he says is better than he was at that age. Noah Perkins has more on Hall and the team’s playoff hopes.

Thoughts? Opinions? Share them with us at news@timesofsandiego.com.