SAFETY WATCH : Dry and Dangerous

The deaths of two Los Angeles County fire crew members in an Altadena blaze Friday are a sad reminder of dangers posed by our summer fire season. A little extra care and precaution by residents and visitors would help reduce the possibility of seasonal fires on hillsides and in dry brush areas. Firefighters would surely appreciate it.

Friday’s relatively small blaze, in a rugged, hilly section of Altadena, ignited when a car caught fire on the side of a road. Christopher Herman, 25, of Downey and Arthur Ruezga, 33, of Valinda were in an eight-member firefighting crew that was dropped by helicopter onto a hillside above the fire. They were killed when winds suddenly whipped the fire to their position, trapping them. Two other crew members were in critical but stable condition Monday.

Inspectors from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the 100-acre fire and the circumstances of the deaths. On the same day, at least two other outdoor fires occurred in the county, in Claremont and on Santa Catalina Island. And as sure as the Santa Ana winds of autumn come every year, more fires will occur before the winter rains.

In the meantime, county residents should mourn the death of two courageous men in the line of duty. Their sacrifice stands as a symbol of the ever-present threat of fire in the brushy hills and mountains of Southern California. It is a threat that firefighters never take lightly. Neither should the rest of us.