Nervous O.C. Cities Check Fire Defenses : Aftermath: In wake of Laguna Beach blaze, they are inspecting water supply, escape routes and equipment.

Shaken by the Southland’s destructive wildfires, municipal and fire officials across Orange County have begun taking stock to better prepare for the next time flames spread toward suburbia.

Orange County Fire Chief Larry Holms, for one, said the spate of devastating blazes illustrated the need for the county to have its own firefighting helicopter, instead of relying on help from elsewhere.

Although a specially equipped helicopter would not be a guarantee against the sort of devastation wrought by the inferno that raced through Laguna Beach, “there is a potential that it could have picked up that fire” where it began, Holms said.

“What continues to happen to Orange County is, other fires are burning when Orange County gets its fires,” he said. “Although the sheriff and police help with with law enforcement helicopters, they are light-duty helicopters with limited water-dropping capability.”

Elsewhere, the reaction ranged from outright alarm to an occasional case of apathy. Some authorities promised to revamp their plans to learn any lessons they could. Others made a general pitch for fire safety.

In Laguna Beach, where fire destroyed more than 300 homes, beleaguered city leaders asked the state to assess what they can do better. Meanwhile, angry homeowners pummeled elected city officials over their rejection of a hilltop reservoir that might have helped in the fight against the flames.

Residents of nearby Newport Beach, which escaped the flames largely due to the whims of shifting Santa Ana winds, also have been yanked into action. “People were literally scared to death,” said Newport Beach Fire Chief Tim Riley. “They looked out their windows and it literally woke them up.”

After the near miss, City Hall was deluged with phone calls from scores of edgy residents. Officials now talk of finally launching a long-debated effort to clean up several vulnerable canyons in the Corona del Mar area.

Even some communities well removed from the brush-blanketed outback seemed to see the tragedy as a good opportunity to review fire safety.

The tiny city of Stanton, though embraced by urban sprawl, plans to review how well its water supply can meet emergency needs. Some politicians in Santa Ana, meanwhile, hope heightened concerns will allow them to tackle their most pressing fire hazard--overcrowding in apartment buildings. In Huntington Beach, authorities are talking about tougher regulations against wood-shake roofs.

In Irvine--where the blaze was repelled by well-planned greenbelts and the efforts of firefighters--city officials expressed concerns about evacuation routes from some remote subdivisions.

Other communities are more worried about stopping fires from starting. In Tustin and Yorba Linda, police are keeping a look-out for arsonists in remote canyons.

In Anaheim, city officials were puffed up with pride after the smoke subsided. If Laguna was a firefighter’s nightmare, they said, then Anaheim was the dream--there were no water pressure problems, no shake roofs, and few narrow, twisting roads surrounded by jungle-like overgrowth. No homes were damaged in Anaheim Hills, despite several close brushes. “If we’re not a model (of fire prevention) we’re certainly moving in the right direction,” said Anaheim Fire Chief Jeff Bowman.

But some communities appear content. In Villa Park, a wealthy enclave laced with tinderbox slopes, there has been little hubbub about fire protection in recent days. Although two blazes have burned sizable swaths of the city in the past quarter century, some residents continue to sheath their homes with flammable shake roofs. When the winds began blowing two weeks ago, fire once again visited the community. But City Manager Fred Maley said there have been no demands for changes.

“This is a fairly conservative community when it comes to some things,” Maley said, noting that many residents want “minimum government” when it applies to dictating a home’s construction or what sort of plants go in the ground.

They eventually might have no choice but to change. The county’s delegation of lawmakers in Sacramento has banded behind a bill by Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) to provide financial help to fire victims--and a few are quietly talking about introducing bills to decrease the risk.

Among the ideas being discussed are wider buffer zones between subdivisions and the backcountry, requirements for fire-retardant roofs and building materials in hazardous areas and more precautionary “controlled burns” to clear combustible brush and weeds.

“Droughts and Santa Ana winds are a fact of life in Southern California,” said Pete Conaty, chief of staff for Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange). “They’re not going away, and neither are people building houses on hillsides.

“Something needs to be done so we don’t go through this again and again.”

Here is a look at how Orange County’s 31 cities are responding to fire concerns:

ANAHEIM: During the recent fire that charred grassy slopes near Anaheim Hills and Villa Park, authorities said, many of the city’s precautions proved their worth. In some places, the blaze burned right down to the lush, greenbelt vegetation separating residential areas of Anaheim Hills from the fire-prone backcountry. A massive reservoir insured that there were no concerns about water supply and pressure.

BREA: No review of the city’s fire codes is underway because the ones in place “are adequate and seem to do the job,” said interim Fire Chief Bill Simpkins. An independent survey done recently for the insurance industry gave the city’s fire service and water supply access high marks. Officials said they also pay particular attention to brush clearing in rural Carbon Canyon, home to a trailer park and 140 houses.

BUENA PARK: A view of existing fire codes is planned for upcoming weeks, with scrutiny on roof protection and, potentially, revamped requirements for home sprinklers. Officials said they are confident the water supply is in good shape since two new wells were drilled to augment city reservoirs.

COSTA MESA: Current weed-abatement programs and fire codes are sufficient and there have been no calls for change in this developed city, said Perry Valantine, Costa Mesa’s assistant development services director and planning manager.

CYPRESS: The city already has stringent roofing regulations in place. While city officials said they are confident the water supply is sufficient to meet firefighting needs, they talked of doing a precautionary review in light of water troubles during the Laguna Beach fire. An annual weed-clearing program keeps combustibles out of deserted lots and along railroad tracks.

DANA POINT: Dana Point City Manager Stephen B. Julian said the town, just south of Laguna Beach, would look for lessons in that blaze. Evacuation snarls that plagued Laguna are unlikely to be duplicated in Dana Point because of kinder topography and road access, but Julian said it is an area that should be reconsidered and reviewed.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY: City officials plan to meet and begin “comparing notes” on where they can make fire improvements in the aftermath of the Southland fires, City Manager Raymond H. Kromer said. So far, authorities have reviewed their water supply, “and I think we’re in great shape,” Kromer said.

FULLERTON: City Manager James L. Armstrong said tight budgets have resulted in “very lean” staffing at the city’s Fire Department, but he is confident that any blazes could be controlled with the help of firefighters from neighboring cities. The city’s water is adequate and brush clearing is a constant preoccupation in rural areas. But in recent years, he said, the city has had to ease its clearing efforts in areas such as Coyote Hills, which harbors the California gnatcatcher, a small songbird listed as a threatened species.

GARDEN GROVE: Ensconced in inland Orange County, this city bears little resemblance to Laguna Beach or Malibu. What brush that grows is cleaned up in a twice-a-year weed-cleanup program. Evacuation plans are in place, and a $14-million bond issue has been authorized to upgrade the city water supply.

HUNTINGTON BEACH: City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga met with Mayor Grace H. Winchell to discuss ways to regulate materials used for roof replacements. About half of the city’s homes have shake roofs. The city’s evacuation routes could be improved by building a road parallel to Pacific Coast Highway across the Bolsa Chica wetlands, Fire Chief Michael Dolder said. But that idea has drawn strong opposition by environmentalists trying to protect the fragile area.

IRVINE: Irvine City Council members have asked their staff to brief them on regulations concerning shake roofs. “You’ll find cities in Southern California in the next several months will be looking at roofing ordinances and seeing what can be done to alleviate the danger from wildfires,” Irvine Mayor Michael Ward said.

Nearly 100 residents called city officials after the embers died to express relief and thanks to firefighters. The one complaint, officials said, was about the evacuation route out of Turtle Rock. Bystanders who drove into the neighborhood to watch the fire blocked residents trying to get out. Next time, officials plan to set up road blocks to keep out gawkers.

LAGUNA BEACH: Officials of the city, epicenter of the worst fire destruction in Orange County, recently asked the state Office of Emergency Services to study how the blaze started, what might have helped spread it and what hindered the firefighters’ work in stopping the inferno. The independent study’s conclusions and suggestions will be used for any actions needed to guard Laguna Beach against future fires.

The city also will ask the state to assess whether a 3-million-gallon reservoir, which council members have refused to endorse for several months, should be built to aid in fighting future blazes. The council has not approved the reservoir because it would be located in an environmentally sensitive area, but firefighters concluded that it would have helped greatly in limiting the recent damage.

During the night of the fire, water pressure was low and existing reservoirs drained quickly, unable to be replenished because of a power failure. Residents at an emotional council meeting Tuesday demanded that elected officials immediately approve the reservoir, but no action was taken.

The city also moved to authorize a plan to replant slopes to ease concerns about erosion and mudslides when winter rains hit.

Officials realize the blaze fed on the many shake roofs in town, but building codes updated seven years ago already ban wood roofs and encourage the planting of ice plant and other fire-safe vegetation around homes, City Manger Kenneth C. Frank said.

LAGUNA HILLS: City officials said they are confident that their water supply, fire service and weed abatement program are more than adequate. While the council has yet to call for any changes in the wake of the fires, Mayor L. Allan Songstad said officials might consider reviewing evacuation plans after learning that other cities had experienced some problems.

LAGUNA NIGUEL: While the inferno roared in Laguna Beach, next-door-neighbor Laguna Niguel sweated it out. Although the flames stayed away, it prompted a bit of introspection. Councilwoman Janet Godfrey noted that the city had one evacuation route--Crown Valley Parkway, “which could get congested quite easily.”

“We learned quite a bit that night,” she said. “We were very fortunate, but we also need to wake up and make changes to be prepared for the next time.”

LA HABRA: Two La Habra police officers were sent to patrol areas of southern La Habra Heights during the height of the Santa Ana winds last week to ensure that a fire breaking out in the hilly Los Angeles County city wouldn’t spread into Orange County.

LAKE FOREST: This recently incorporated community is “in good shape” in the event of a fire, said City Councilman Tim Link. “We are fortunate to have a city that is a newer city” with wide avenues and a quality water supply in the event of an emergency. The city does not have any plans to examine its current standards.

LA PALMA: City Manager Pamela Gibson said the city is “totally urban” without open space so she does not see any changes in preparation or building regulations. No residents called City Hall to express concern after the fires, she said.

LOS ALAMITOS: Located far from the flames, the city plans no changes or reviews, officials said. “Our building codes, the sprinkling requirements for buildings, will be continually updated,” Assistant City Manager Gerard Goedhart said. “Fortunately, we’ve had few fires in the city and we’re out to make sure we have good codes and maintenance of property.”

MISSION VIEJO: As the Laguna Beach fire raged, many residents called city and fire officials with concerns about where the blaze was headed. Authorities said the experience underscores the need for an ongoing weed abatement program, but they don’t anticipate changing any of their existing building requirements, which allow wood roofs that have been treated to ward off fire.

NEWPORT BEACH: The Newport Beach Fire Department began drafting a plan Thursday to clear the town’s canyons of dried and dead brush that poses a fire hazard. The City Council is expected to adopt a resolution today to authorize officials to order residents in more than 100 homes to clean out dried foliage on private properties extending to canyon areas. In 1990, fire officials recommended that residents perform exactly this type of clearing, but were rebuffed by a majority of residents who wanted to leave the canyon habitat untouched.

ORANGE: “Under the conditions, we did very, very well,” said Orange Fire Chief Edward D. Rowlett. Still, two homes were destroyed and five damaged in the recent firestorm. One improvement Rowlett said he would like to see is the passage of a new roofing ordinance requiring fire retardant shingles. Rowlett said the department will also try to strengthen its weed-abatement program.

PLACENTIA: City administrator Bob D’Amato said the recent fires prompted the city to take a second look at fire rings in two public parks to ensure that there is no chance they could cause problems. Otherwise, he said, city officials feel well-prepared for any fire danger.

SAN CLEMENTE: Fire and law enforcement officials gathered last weekend to review the city’s firefighting plan. “They felt very confident everything was as good as it can be given the nature of wildfires,” Mayor Candace Haggard said. She doesn’t anticipate major changes in building codes or brush-control regulations. “San Clemente was one of the first cities in the nation to require residential sprinklers,” Haggard said. “That is a big, big savior in any fire situation.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO: City Manager George Scarborough said the city does not plan to review existing fire-prevention policies. “It would be more of the same of what we have been doing,” he said.

SANTA ANA: In a crowded city where officials have long wanted tighter occupancy limits for dwellings, the recent fires may once again bring overcrowding concerns to the forefront. From December, 1991, to January, 1992, more than a dozen people died in fires at four cramped Santa Ana buildings.

It won’t be the first time the issue has been broached. The council approved an ordinance in 1991 cutting occupancy limits in half, but the new law was rejected in court because it was stricter than statewide standards.

SEAL BEACH: Councilman George Brown wants a review of the city’s preparedness, saying his main concern is the water supply in the event of a major fire. “We don’t have chaparral, but if an arsonist starts a fire it could start problems,” Brown said.

STANTON: In the coming weeks, the city will review the ability of its water system to meet the emergency needs of a major fire, City Manager Greg Hulsizer said. The fires have also prompted a review of other hazards--what toxic materials are used in the city’s industrial area, a tally of wood-shingle roofs and overcrowding in apartments along Beach Boulevard. “It kind of moves those issues to the fore,” he said.

TUSTIN: Police last week began patrolling the eastern edge of the city to watch for firebugs. But officials don’t expect other big changes. City Manager William A. Huston said his city had embarked on a major upgrade of the reservoir system even before the recent fires. “Pressure is a major issue,” he said.

VILLA PARK: “We have not had an outcry of any type,” City Manager Fred Maley said. Therefore, he said, the city will probably continue to do what it has always done--conduct weed-clearing programs monitored by city inspectors.

WESTMINSTER: Mayor Charles V. Smith said city officials aren’t planning to review building or fire codes. He said his city has a well-equipped Fire Department and good water supplies. Moreover, with the city far removed from the fires, City Hall did not get calls expressing concern.

YORBA LINDA: Council members asked their water district officials last Tuesday to prepare a report about how prepared the district is to supply water to combat a major conflagration. “I think the events of the last few weeks have heightened everyone’s awareness and people are saying, ‘Look what happened over there. Could that happen to us?’ ” said Roy Stephenson, city public works director.

Police started temporary “perimeter patrols” in parts of the city as an early warning watch for fires. The city, which abuts Chino Hills State Park to the north, outlawed homes with shake roofs and established a citywide foliage-abatement program about a decade ago.

Times staff writer Alicia Di Rado contributed to this report.

More Fire Coverage

* CHIEF WANTS A COPTER--A whirlybird could help quickly attack blazes, Orange County Fire Chief Larry Holms says. A21

* PACKING IT IN--Weary firefighters began packing up their gear as Calabasas-Malibu blaze finally died out Sunday. A22

* FEELING STRESS--Laguna firefighters have asked for help from county team to help them work through tension. B1

Fire Review

Orange County’s recent fires have prompted most local cities to review their emergency preparedness and firefighting plans. Some have already implemented changes while others are still exploring options. A city-by-city look: City: Action Buena Park: Will review fire codes; currently revamping sprinkler requirements. Cypress: Possible survey of water strength, availability. Dana Point: City, county fire officials will re-examine city’s emergency response plans. Fountain Valley: Reviewed water supply capacity. Huntington Beach: May look at making sure more roofers use fire-resistant materials; expanding water reservoir supply. Irvine: City Council asked for briefing on wood shake roof regulations; with future fires, road blocks will be farther from blaze to dissuade onlookers. La Habra: Two police officers sent on “fire watch” in La Habra Heights during Santa Ana winds. Laguna Beach: Has asked state Office of Emergency Services to determine cause of fire, what helped it spread, what hindered firefighters. Laguna Niguel: Still drafting emergency preparedness plan. Mission Viejo: City officials will ensure that homeowners comply with weed-abatement program. Newport Beach: Drafting plan to clear local canyons of dry, dead brush. Expected to adopt resolution authorizing officials to order removal of dry foliage on private properties extending to canyon floor. Fire officials to meet with residents Nov. 16 to explain how to fireproof canyons, which contractors can do the work. Orange: Fire Department wants new roofing ordinance; will re-examine weed abatement program. Placentia: Will review use of fire rings in two public parks. Santa Ana: Developing educational videotape. Seal Beach: Wants county fire officials’ help in reviewing, making changes in fire preparedness plan. Stanton: Will review how well water supply can meet emergency needs during fire. Tustin: Police patrols along perimeter of city. San Clemente: Reviewed firefighting plan. Yorba Linda: Asked water district to prepare report about city’s reservoir supply. Note: Anaheim, Brea, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, San Juan Capistrano, Villa Park and Westminster are not making any immediate changes or conducting reviews.

Source: Individual cities

Researched by ERIC YOUNG, THUAN LEE and GEOFF BOUCHER / Los Angeles Times