On October 25, 2003, a lost hiker, hoping to signal rescuers, started a fire in the Cleveland National Forest. Those flames started what is now known as the Cedar Fire. Aided by dry brush and 60 mile per hour Santa Ana wind gusts, the flames quickly spread from the mountains into Ramona and Lakeside. Less than 24 hours later, they moved west through Poway and into Scripps Ranch… and east into Alpine, Harbison Canyon, and Crest. Later, the fire switched directions and came back east, toward Julian and the surrounding communities. Fifteen people, including a firefighter from Northern California, were killed by the flames. The fire also destroyed 2,232 homes and burned over 270,000 acres. At the time, it was the largest fire in state history. MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/wildfires