By Stan Caplan
Photo: 2007 Harris Fire
During my recent interview with Miriam Raftery of East County Magazine, I was asked about my plan to address the ongoing wildfire crisis that has devastated so many families in our region. I realized I was too brief in my answer. East County deserves a full, detailed commitment — so here it is.
For more than 15 years, Miriam Raftery and East County Magazine have been the strongest voice documenting the human toll of wildfires. From the Cedar Fire of 2003 and Witch Fire of 2007 to the more recent disasters, the pain is still raw: lost homes, destroyed lives, skyrocketing or unavailable insurance, and families left wondering if they can stay in the communities they love.
We cannot continue repeating the same mistakes.
Decades of poor forest management on public lands, excessive fuel loads, delayed vegetation clearance, and utility infrastructure failures have turned our hills into tinderboxes. Overly restrictive regulations have sometimes prevented homeowners from creating adequate defensible space. The result has been repeated tragedy.
As a candidate for Congress in the 51st District, with voting now underway, I will make wildfire prevention and recovery a top priority. Here is a clear, actionable plan I will fight for in Washington:
- Federal Funding for Home Hardening and Defensible Space: Direct grants and low-interest loans to help homeowners install fire-resistant roofing, vents, siding, and create proper defensible space. Prevention is far cheaper than repeated disaster relief.
- Aggressive Vegetation Management on Federal Lands: Increase funding and streamline permitting for clearing overgrown fuel loads on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property bordering East County. We must cut through environmental litigation delays that have cost lives and homes.
- Utility Accountability and Infrastructure Upgrades: Require utilities like SDG&E to accelerate undergrounding of high-risk lines and maintain strict vegetation clearance. Tie federal infrastructure funding to measurable safety improvements and accountability.
- Insurance Market Stabilization: Create federal backstop programs and incentives for insurers that remain in high-risk areas, while rewarding homeowners who complete certified fire-hardening upgrades.
- Advanced Technology and Early Warning: Expand use of AI-driven fire prediction, better early-warning systems, and new fire-resistant materials developed in California.
East County has suffered enough. Miriam Raftery has documented this crisis for years. The residents she serves deserve more than sympathy — they deserve real solutions and a representative who will fight for them in Congress.
Voting is underway right now. It’s time to act. It’s time to protect our homes, our families, and our future.
I’m Stan Caplan, and I’m running for Congress in the 51st District to get this done.
The views in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.