Westside : FIRE FEES

In Malibu, where there’s smoke there’s usually a brush fire. But there soon may not be enough fire stations.

County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman announced last week that the Fire Department may cut two stations in Malibu if the Board of Supervisors does not increase the annual fees paid by homeowners to help cover the cost of fire protection.

Freeman is asking for $55.96 a year, up 53% from the $36.55 that residents now pay.

The two facilities on the chopping block are Station 72, which covers the Decker Canyon area, and Fire Station 99 in Malibu. If either station closes, the response time of the nearest fire station to emergency calls would double, one fire official said.

County supervisors will consider the fee increase next month. Some Malibu residents have said they are willing to pay more.

“I consider it to be insurance,” said Gretchen Hays, who lost her Malibu home in the 1993 blaze.

After her loss, though, Hays is not taking any chances on the Fire Department. She is reinforcing her replacement home with concrete and other fire-resistant materials.