Brushland, Winds Put Peninsula at Risk for Blazes

With devastating brush fires leveling homes throughout Southern California on Wednesday, local fire officials warned residents of the Palos Verdes Peninsula to be on guard because the area has the ingredients for a large blaze.

Prompted by memories of past disasters on the peninsula, the fire officials urged residents to take precautions that include clearing brush as far as possible from their homes and cutting tree limbs dangling near roofs.

Other areas of the South Bay are not at such great risk because they lack the concentration of homes built near vacant brushland, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Russell Colby. The peninsula includes large parcels of brushland that bump up against remote homes.

Moist ocean breezes usually keep down the fire risk on the peninsula. But when Santa Ana winds blow in from the desert, the vegetation quickly dries out, raising the threat of fires, Colby said.

The Santa Anas on Wednesday dropped humidity to 10%.

“Normally we’re kind of fortunate on the coast,” Colby said. “We get the fog that puts moisture in the air. When you have Santa Ana winds, everything is real dry. (Winds) can change any second.”

Several peninsula firefighters were sent to help battle the blazes in Altadena. But authorities stressed that they are ready if any trouble develops on the hill.

“There’s been nothing happening here, and we don’t have the high winds, but we are maintaining our resources at an optimum level,” county Battalion Chief Ken Roberts said.

Last winter’s heavy rains have resulted in dense growth of vegetation. In some areas, walls of brush are as high as 10 feet, Colby said.

Throughout the years, the peninsula has experienced several brush fires that roared across hundreds of acres and destroyed several homes. The biggest fire hit in June, 1973, when winds whipped a brush fire across 900 acres and destroyed 11 houses, causing an estimated $2 million in property damage.

In June, 1992, a brush fire scorched nearly 100 acres of hillside near the former Marineland site in Rancho Palos Verdes, forcing about 150 residents to evacuate their houses for several hours.

“It’s funny,” Colby said. “The fire actually was helpful because it made people more aware of the dangers. We’ve had very good cooperation from the residents.”

Here are some tips for safeguarding your home against brush fires:

* Cover chimney with half-inch steel mesh to prevent sparks from igniting roof or brush.

* Trim or remove tree limbs near house and those within 10 feet of the chimney. Remove leaves, needles and twigs from roof and gutters.

* Keep woodpiles away from buildings.

* Clear brush from area surrounding property. State law requires residents to clear flammable vegetation within 30 feet of structures. Also cut flammable vegetation to a height of 18 inches for another 70 feet.