NEWPORT BEACH : Fire Officials Claim Victory Over Brush

A year after pressing residents along Buck Gully and Morning Canyon to trim shrubs and clear dead brush from behind their homes, Fire Department officials have declared victory and dropped the order.

“We felt we had accomplished the major portion of what we set out to do,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Jim Upton. “We will continue to advise if they ask us, but we will not press the issue. It will die its natural death here.”

Last July, the department outraged residents along the canyons with an order to trim all trees and shrubs to one-third their height and remove dead wood and grass that posed a fire hazard. If the 166 property owners refused, the Fire Department threatened to bill them for the cost of the clearing.

Upton said the department hoped to reach two goals through the order.

“One, to abate a very serious fire hazard and let the homeowner know it existed. Two, to make the property owners aware of what their personal responsibility and liability was and produce an environment in which we could control something that would take place down there.” Residents protested, saying the natural beauty of the canyons was one of the reasons they bought homes there. They added that stripping the area of brush could destroy habitats for foxes and raccoons and lead to soil erosion.

About 75% of the residents complied with the order, including Chris Wynkoop, president of the Cameo Community Assn.

At first, Wynkoop said he hesitated he didn’t think the growth was hazardous. Now he’s pleased that he can explore more of his property.

“It’s been totally covered for 10 years by thick bushes. I mean 10-foot-high bushes,” Wynkoop said. “Now, I’ve got a garden 5 feet wide by 30 feet long.”

Other homeowners have compromised by trimming dead brush, chipping it into small pieces and leaving it on the ground to nourish the soil.

Upton remains concerned about the fire hazard in the area, and the city will continue distributing information to homeowners about the importance of keeping the brush trimmed.