Baldwin Hills ‘Sweep’ Finds Fire Violations

Despite two recent disastrous brush fires in the area, Los Angeles firefighters found 60 parcels of property in violation of city fire brush codes in a two-day “sweep inspection” of the “Baldwin Hills Triangle,” officials said Friday.

Twenty-five firefighters traveled every street in the mile-square area and checked for hazardous vegetation--either brush or grass--on 1,128 parcels Thursday and Friday.

The property owners, many of them absentee landlords, were warned to clear off the growth within a reasonable time, or face legal action that could result in city crews clearing it off. The bill for the work would be added to the owner’s property taxes.

City fire codes require that brush and grass be no higher than three inches within 30 feet of a structure or 10 feet from a street.

‘Everything Possible’

“Normally we finish these inspections in the spring, but after these fires we wanted to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to prevent any further flare-ups,” Battalion Chief Jim Young said. But, he cautioned, “this is no guarantee that there couldn’t be another outbreak there, given a combination of high winds and the shake shingle roofs on all of those houses in there.”

Young pointed out that a 13-year-old boy, carelessly playing with matches, apparently ignited a fire that damaged six houses, causing an estimated $400,000 damage, on Oct. 3. The cause was not attributed to uncleared vegetation.

City arson investigators have filed a juvenile petition against the boy, charging him with “unlawfully causing a fire that causes damage to an inhabited dwelling.” The boy has been returned to his mother’s custody.

Three people died and more than 60 houses were destroyed or damaged in a major arson-caused blaze July 2. Three legal actions, involving 34 fire victims, have been filed against Pepperdine University, which owns grass-covered property in the area where the fire was believed to have started.

No Suspect

Despite a large reward offered for apprehension of whoever started the blaze, no suspect has been identified or arrested.

Young said the sweep of the triangle is expected to be a precedent for sweeps of other city “flatland” areas outside the mountain fire districts.

The target area of this week’s sweep got its name from its shape. La Brea Avenue and Stocker Street, which bound the neighborhood on the west and east, angle to an intersection at the southern tip of the area. Pinafore Street and Santa Rosalia Drive are on the northern boundary.