Fire: Cedar 2003
State: California
Start: October 25, 2003
Finish: November 5, 2003
Duration: 12 day
Acres burned: 273,246
Counties: San Diego
Cause: smoke signal fire
Structures destroyed: 2,232
Deaths: 14 Civilians 1 firefighter
Injuries: 113
Damage 1.33 billion (2003)
Driven by strong Santa Ana winds. Caused fire to at time spread at a rate of 3,600 acres per hour.
12 people in Wildcat Canyon and Muth Valley in the northern part of Lakeside. They had little to no warning due to rate of spread of the fire.