In the fall of 2003, San Diego County was devastated by a wildfire that was soon to become one of the state’s largest fires on record. The fire was known as the Cedar Fire, which took the lives of 15 people and destroyed over 2,230 homes. Countless other homes were partially destroyed or heavily damaged by smoke, which displaced tens of thousands of residents. Many of those affected by the fire encountered a myriad of challenges. Some who lost everything were never able to return home and, to this day, all that’s left are vacant lots. Many homeowners found themselves under-insured or ended up in lawsuits with their insurance companies. Some got taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors, public adjusters, or mortgage companies, and for some the emotional and psychological stress of losing everything was just too much to handle.  

Then, almost four years to the day and soon after most of the families impacted by the Cedar Fire had rebuilt and moved back into their homes, another wildfire struck. On October 22, 2007, the Witch Creek Fire swept across San Diego County and by November 16, it had consumed over 1,350 homes and damaged thousands of others.