Summer is officially here — but with it has been an increased risk of brush fires.
Four brush fires popped up across San Diego County on Tuesday. Savanna Ghareeb was at her grandfather's home in El Cajon when a fire broke out next to his backyard.
More San Diego County brush fire coverage:
“It was really scary because I haven’t experienced this big of a fire, and I didn’t know what to do,” Ghareeb said.
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Her grandfather said the fire reached about five feet in height. It came up to a fence just feet from the backyard.
Ghareeb said her mother alerted everyone about the flames when she arrived home from work. That’s when her grandparents attempted their first line of defense.
“They both grabbed the hose, and they were watering it so that the fire wouldn’t come and burn this house down,” Ghareeb said.
She said everything happened quickly, but her mom brought her and her family to safety.
“She told us to get our shoes and to evacuate,” Ghareeb said.
The family had cleared the brush from the area, and they believe that helped protect their home. Heartland Fire crews put out the fire once they arrived.
Ghareeb’s grandfather said he’s grateful his family is safe and that the fire did not destroy or damage his home.
Cal Fire says to start preparing for San Diego fire season now
Cal Fire San Diego is urging everyone to get prepared.
"Clear that first five feet next to your structure to set yourself up for success," Captain Thomas Shoots with Cal Fire said. "Replace some of your old vents around your structure. Create an evacuation plan for you and your family. Sign up for the reverse 911 system."
Shoots says taking prevention measures helps put less strain on Cal Fire's resources.
"We have a long fire season ahead of us," he said. "It all comes down to where those starts happen, so we're hoping the starts don't happen in the right places to carry this fire. But if they do, we're going to be ready, and we want the public to be ready as well."
The cause of the brush fires on Tuesday remains under investigation. While the fires threatened homes, Shoots says none were damaged or destroyed.
