Twelve years ago Sunday, California's largest wildfire sparked in Julian after a hunter signaled for help by starting a signal fire
In just 12 hours, the Cedar Fire spread to San Diego, taking lives, homes and 286,000 acres along with it.
After a year of design, survivors of the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire in Lakeside brought together pieces of the past to teach the future.
A quick countdown lead to the cutting of the red tape on the Cedar Fire Historical Monument, built in part with residents' donated artifacts for the monument, built to honor the victims. The community project includes a garden and art installations inspired by the fire.
The monument stands next to the Lakeside Fire Administration Office on Lakeside Avenue and pays tribute to those who died in the deadly blaze that destroyed thousands of homes and left more than 100 people injured in San Diego.
Fire Chief Andy Parr, who had the honor of using the scissors, emphasizes this is a monument, not a memorial, for the 12 people who died in his zip code.
“This little space, pocket park if you will, allows people to come here and talk about their experiences and memories,” Parr said.
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Rhonda Turvey and her two grandsons are first inside the pocket park. In 2003, Turvery watched the Cedar Fire scorch eleven neighbors’ homes. The Turvey’s methods of fire protection—cutting and watering the grass—worked to save their home.
“You know that’s the first time I’ve even been through a fire like that… having to evacuate, get our dogs, get my mother and father in law,” Rhonda said.
The monument also aims to be used as a community gathering space and an educational tool on wildfires for residents and students. The main walkway to the monument contains a chronology of fires that have impacted the Lakeside area, as well as information on fire preparedness.
Landscape Architect Joe Dodd called on survivors and the fire chief to re-tale history.
Dodd showed NBC 7 a map sandblasted into the concrete. “The black lines represent the roads and over here you can see where the fire was first reported and spread all the way into San Diego.”
Dodd kept everything in mind from drought adaptable plants, to artwork of melted souvenirs, and the red flag which is a constant reminder of fire danger.
All of this brings back old memories for Rhonda, as she captures new ones with her grandsons. The family came here to see the granite they donated from their quarry.
“My husband and son are at the pit working together today. They weren’t able to come, so I had to come record and take pictures,” Turvey said.
The Cedar Fire Monument is free and can be viewed at any time.
