On Oct. 25, 2003, the Cedar Fire roared through San Diego County, killing 15 people and destroying more than 2,800 homes and businesses. The tragedy led to significant reforms in firefighting and building codes.
In this Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, file photo, President George W. Bush views fire damage with San Diego County supervisor Dianne Jacob during a tour of Harbison Canyon, outside of San Diego. Every 30 years or so, a massive fire blows through Harbison Canyon, 30 miles northeast of San Diego.
Scripps Ranch resident Jerry Lowthers was up early on that Sunday morning, intending to play in a softball game. When he saw the pitch-black sky, Lowthers woke his wife and they quickly threw some essentials in their cars and drove off. San Diego Fire-Rescue Fire Chief Colin Stowell was a young captain in 2003 and was in one of the first strike teams sent to Scripps Ranch.“I was right in the middle of it, with our strike team there,” Stowell says. “There was no amount of fire engines or personnel that was going to stop that firestorm from blowing through those communities.”
“We are in a much better position today,” Stowell said. “We have a healthy reserve fleet, we have utility vehicles, and we have ways to get them out that certainly would make a big difference today.”
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