FALLBROOK, Calif (KGTV) — The Garden Fire was a stark reminder of the devastating 2017 Lilac Fire.
It destroyed 114 homes and damaged 55 others, and happened just northeast of Friday’s fire.
Next December marks seven years since the Lilac Fire ripped through Bonsall, bursting out of control after sparking during Santa Ana winds.
Friday, thankfully, was a much different story as crews were able to get control of the Garden Fire much faster.
North County Fire Battalion Chief Joey Bradshaw worked both fires. He remembers the Lilac Fire well and says conditions that December day were drastically different than Friday.
“The big difference was in 2017 we had 70-mile-an-hour winds, today we had 15-20 mile-an-hour winds,” says Bradshaw about the weather conditions.
Friday’s fire started just hours after the red flag warning had expired; by comparison, the Lilac started seven days into a Santa Ana wind event, scorching everything in its path.
Though the fire was seven years ago, it’s never out of mind for fire crews.