Window Bars a Potential Danger in County, Especially in High-Crime Areas, Officials Say

Fire and police officials say that although no one has died in Orange County because they were trapped behind iron bars, the potential is there, especially in high-crime areas.

Unlike Los Angeles, no Orange County cities have laws specifically requiring quick-release devices on iron-barred windows, but all have adopted state building codes that contain those provisions. There is no crackdown under way, as there is in Los Angeles, but several officials said they would endorse inspections and orders to install the devices or remove the bars.

“Generally, a fire person’s going to say, ‘No, we don’t want them anywhere,’ ” said Garden Grove Fire Chief Lon Cahill. “That’s your way out and our way in. . . . Even worse than us not being able to get in is the people who can’t do anything before we get there.”

Garden Grove building inspectors cited owners in the Buena Clinton area--generally acknowledged to be the county’s worst slum--about five years ago when they discovered a number of iron-bar installations without safety releases.

In Fountain Valley, Fire Marshal Lynne Michaelis said she issued directions this week to all firefighters to check for homes with iron bars during their routine inspections of fire hydrants. “We advised our crews to check for the bars while they’re doing hydrant checks, because that’s when they’re out in the community,” she said. “We don’t want to wait until after something happens.”

Once a house with bars is spotted, city building officials will make an inspection. The state code, she said, requires that quick-release devices be installed on all barred bedroom windows and that they provide an opening of at least 5.7 square feet.

In some neighborhoods in Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Anaheim, iron bars are common as a method to ward off burglaries.

Santa Ana building inspection coordinator Bob Honish said inspectors check all barred windows but issue few corrective orders. The city’s code enforcement program, which has been dramatically increased since April, 1984, concentrates on correcting conditions such as poor electrical and plumbing conditions, insect or rat infestations and overcrowding.