Residents question fire hazards on Blakespear property

Residents say dead palm trees, brush present a fire threat in Cardiff; state legislature under pressure to address wildfires amid special session focused on the state being “Trump proof”

A photo of dead palm trees on Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s (D-Encinitas) property in Cardiff. Residents are calling for the area to be swept clear as the dead trees and dry vegetation present a fire hazard. Courtesy photo

Note: This story has been updated with comments from Sen. Catherine Blakespear.

ENCINITAS — A battle broke out in Encinitas on Monday as resident clamored over what appears to be a fire hazard on one of Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s properties on Rubenstein Drive in Cardiff.

The issue is at least 19 dead Canary Island Date palm trees in Rossini Canyon on 5.6 acres, which is surrounded by residences. Dozens of residents called for Blakespear, a former mayor of Encinitas, to address the fire hazard on her property, which many say jeopardizes the safety of their homes and other residents, especially since the National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warning.

The current warning ends tonight at 6 p.m. However, the NWS reported the extended forecast shows another chance for more critical fire weather conditions from Jan. 22-25.

Additionally, residents across the city, region and state are on edge due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Residents in Oceanside have warned of individuals appearing to have set a fire in the San Luis Rey riverbed, while the NWS confirmed several other small wildfires broke out last week but were quickly extinguished.

“My husband Jeremy and I are deeply worried and preoccupied by the risk of fire, both to our home and in our community,” Blakespear said in a statement to North County Pipeline. “We have a wild canyon behind our home that we have left in its natural state to be a nature sanctuary, complete with coyotes, foxes, birds and native plants, that everyone in the community can enjoy. Recently, about 20 canary island palm trees deep inside the canyon have been killed by the palm weevil. We recognize this creates a fire danger, and we’ll be working Saturday to remove them.

We hope to have enough people to form a ‘fire brigade’ line where the palm fronds can be passed out from person to person. The goal is to bring the palm fronds up from the bottom of the canyon. We encourage participation from surrounding neighbors to work together collectively to reduce risk in a space that has been enjoyed by many neighbors for years.

“We have always encouraged community stewardship of this space. Being in this small spot of open space is a great source of solace and an escape from the hustle and bustle. Watching the scale of the devastation in Los Angeles and understanding the profound loss of having your home burn to the ground weighs very heavily on me, and I understand the concerns expressed by neighbors and others in the community who worry about fire risk. We aim to remove the risk and keep this space a refuge for members of the community for years to come.”

Residents said one reason for the dead palms is due to an invasive weevil or beetle wreaking havoc on palm trees in the area. According to a Facebook post, Blakespear will rent a woodchipper on Saturday and is inviting neighbors to help the landscape crew mitigate the fire hazard with a “working party.”

Blakespear’s former campaign manager, Kevin Sabellico, said she maintains the property well and are taking the initiative to safeguard the community.

“They maintain the property very well. It’s the canyon next to their home that has a ton of dead wood in it,” he added. “I think it’s great the Blakespears are taking the initiative to safeguard the community from fire.”

He also said the land is a coyote preserve, although some residents questioned the authenticity of the claim and said it’s not a preserve.

Regardless, a code violation complaint was filed with the city, according to records, although the city stated it found no violation.

A request for comment was sent to Blakespear’s office and not returned by deadline.

According to residents, the trees began deteriorating about four years and the issue came to light in December 2023 Facebook post showing more than a dozen dead trees. Residents who walk the trail said debris is piled up at least four feet high in some areas and question how the wood chipper and working party will sufficiently tackle the problem.

“None of the dead palms located on the Blakespear property have been cleared,” resident Gerald Sodomka said Tuesday. “It’s an enormous job to clear them out. There is no way a work party is even going to make a dent in the cleanup. Blakespear needs to hire a professional company to do the job. The bottom of the canyon is dense with growth with no path from one dead palm to another. A pathway will need to be hacked through the dense undergrowth.”