Glendale Group Wants State to Probe Firefighter Performance

A coalition of Glendale homeowner associations has asked the state to investigate whether a countywide force of firefighters responded efficiently to a hillside blaze that destroyed 46 homes and damaged 20 others in the city on June 27, a spokesman for the coalition said Wednesday.

Some activists have charged that many homes were lost in neighborhoods neglected by firefighters until well after the flames had spread. About 350 firefighters from numerous departments battled the fire.

The Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council, representing 15 homeowner associations, asked that Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp, along with the state fire marshal’s staff, “conduct a full investigation of all aspects of the fire, examining the many unanswered questions that have been raised in the manner in which this fire was fought.”

“We’ve just heard so many negative comments from people whose homes burned and who felt they weren’t helped sufficiently,” said Esther Bowen, president of the College Hills Community Assn., where more than 20 homes were destroyed or badly damaged by the fire.

Glendale Fire Chief John M. Montenero defended the efforts of firefighters.

“I’m very proud of our department,” he said. “Our business is very judgmental. Yes, there are probably ways in hindsight to do things better, but we don’t know what they are yet.”

Montenero said his department’s own investigation, to be completed in August, will be thorough and objective. He said he would be willing to share records with any outside agency.

But the homeowners said they want an independent probe.

Joe A. Bridges, a spokesman for the coalition, said the letter was mailed last weekend, with copies sent to Gov. George Deukmejian, State Fire Marshal James McMullen and the state legislators who represent the Glendale area. The group made the letter public Wednesday after Bridges had informed Glendale City Council members of its contents.

One resident, Rob Sharkey, who is president of the Glenmore Canyon Homeowners Assn., said firetrucks did not arrive in his community of 200 homes until two hours after the blaze was reported. He said 14 of the destroyed homes were in Glenmore Canyon.

“They had to know this hill was burning,” he said Wednesday. “Why didn’t they send even one truck? Even one truck could have saved some homes.”

Christiana Mullen, a spokeswoman for Van de Kamp, said the homeowners’ letter had not been received in Sacramento by Wednesday. She said the office reviews all such requests, then determines whether an investigation is justified.

Assistant State Fire Marshal Dave Walizer was also unfamiliar with the letter Wednesday, but he said his office has no authority to investigate local fire departments.