The Rancho Monserate Country Club in Bonsall, a neighborhood hit hard by December's Lilac Fire, is now preparing for rain, forecast for next week.
The area heavily damaged by the wildfire that erupted near the community on Dec. 7, 2017 is now susceptible to flooding. On Saturday, fire crews helped fill sandbags for anyone who might be worried about their property.
The lack of brush is a concern for community members and fire crews. Shrubbery that once filled the area and can act as a barrier is now gone because the flames tore through them.
“They cut a lot of bushes ... Those all caught on fire," Ed Brennan, resident and member of the community's board, told NBC 7.
Of the charred lands left behind, it could pose a risk in any rainstorm. Fire Captain Jon Heggie is helping the community prepare.
“There’s a steep drainage right behind this community so we’re looking at those areas and some of those houses in line with those drainages," Heggie told NBC 7. "So we’re putting sandbags in those areas specifically.”
Still, Runoff isn’t the only issue when preparing for rainfall in the Rancho Moserate community. Brennan also worries about the metal covers running through the neighborhoods. “They get full, and it’s really hard to get them going again."
After the fire, there’s even more debris than normal in the area. "All these branches that were cut and thrown down out of the way... stuff that was on fire that was in the way of the firemen,” Brennan adds.
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Fire crews want to remind you if you need to pick up sandbags for your property. The county will provide those. Visit their website to find a pickup location near you.
