Blame for Laguna Fire Misplaced--and Misguided

* The article “Laguna Blaze Sure to Heat Up ’94 Races” (Nov. 28) is another attempt to politicize the recent fire disaster.

I have been coming to Laguna for 50 years and have lived here for 30 years. Southern California is a desert region. The Santa Ana winds are a fact of life here. The open space and rustic canyons that attracted me to this beautiful village have always been fire-prone. However, as far as I can learn, there has been no major fire in Laguna Canyon for the 50 years I have driven through it. The problem is that overpopulation and incendiary television news reporting are creating a new breed of arsonist with the available technology to create mayhem.

The environment that the business and development interests are seeking to destroy is the reason large numbers of us came here and the reason Laguna Beach is famous for being the place that it is. It is the environment that draws customers and lifts real estate values. Robert F. Gentry, Lida Lenney and Ann Christoph are trying to keep Laguna--and its surroundings--the drawing card that it has always been. Meanwhile, it is being threatened on all sides with extinction.

CRANDALL NORTON

Laguna Beach

* The Oct. 27 fires in Laguna Beach appear to have hatched lots of malicious people-bashing. So when I see varmints pointing their crooked fingers at good people, that’s when I’ll contribute to your “Letters to the Editor” club.

The fire damage in Laguna was not caused by our City Council, our mayor, our city staff or our water district board; nor was it lack of cows, the gnatcatcher, the three-toed kadoodle or the endangered crested myna bird.

The damage was caused by a firestorm driven by terribly powerful and erratic winds and creating a true natural disaster of the magnitude of a typhoon or hurricane. If we had had unlimited resources of firefighting equipment and water and firefighting personnel and all the cows and goats in the United States, the results would have been similar to man trying to control a tornado, typhoon or hurricane.

We succeeded at stopping the fire only when the winds died down or changed direction. Only then were we able to approach the fire area and “mop up.”

This does not take away from our gratitude and applause for the courage and quick response of our brave firefighters and police officers. They know very well that this kind of fire is unpredictable, overwhelming, frustrating and deadly. They are our heroes for even approaching the fire line.

After many disastrous typhoons I have witnessed in the Pacific, what do we see the decimated native population do? They gather together for a short prayer recognizing that a natural disaster has taken away lives of family and friends and their homes. And then, looking to the future, they closely support each other in a rebuilding effort. But, of course, these are simple people--who maybe see things more clearly than some of our Lagunatics do?

BEN BLOUNT

Laguna Beach