Crews Practice for Fire Season

By DEBRA CANO

Aug. 29, 1996 12 AM PT

Across the street from some of Anaheim Hills’ most expensive homes, 20 firefighters in bright yellow safety gear went through drills Wednesday to make sure that they and their equipment are ready in case of brush fires on the nearby hillside.

Fire Chief Jeffrey Bowman pointed to acres of undeveloped land covered with dry brush and asked, “Have you seen TV lately?” He was referring to a brush fire that has charred thousands of acres near Castaic.

It could happen here, he said. “Imagine a Santa Ana wind blowing through this canyon.”

The maneuvers that the firefighters were practicing could save property and lives should a blaze ravage Anaheim’s hills and canyons, officials said.

“It’s fire season, and the probability that we could have a fire here in Orange County is high,” said Tabby Cato, Fire Department public information officer.

The firefighters also tried out tricks that might save their own lives, such as sheltering under a tent that can shield them and deflect heat if they are overrun by flames, said firefighter Jerry Woods, a training instructor.

Armed with hoses, the firefighters also practiced extending the lines 700 feet up a hill and simulated putting out a brush fire. Then they were drilled on spraying a special foam used to extinguish brush fires.

“The training is going to reinforce what we’ve learned already and make us more proficient,” engineer Dave Berger said.

The drill is important because battling brush fires isn’t as common as fighting structure blazes, Capt. Rene Garcia said. “It’s a good review because when you have to do it, you have to do it right now. . . . These are life safety procedures that we have to stay current on.”

Cato said the department also promotes a fire hazard reduction program for residents of hill and canyon areas. Since 1991, more than 10,000 home inspections have been conducted in the campaign to improve residential safety and prevent fires, Cato said.

From those inspections, about 3,100 violation notices have been given to property owners, all of which have been corrected, Cato said. The most common violations were not having spark arresters on chimneys, not clearing vegetation near homes and not trimming trees back from roofs.

“If you have a fire in the brush areas and you have a lot of vegetation going up to your house or trees overhanging on the roof . . . the chances of your house becoming involved in a brush fire is higher,” Cato said.

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Fire Deterrence

As the height of the fire season approaches, safety officials are encouraging residents to maintain their property to help prevent blazes. Some tips:

* Select materials and plants that help contain fire rather than fuel it.

* Clear flammable vegetation and combustible growth near home.

* Maintain a 10-foot clearance from trees to chimney outlets.

* Provide and maintain a chimney spark arrester.

* Clear roof of leaves and needles.

* Maintain a clear access to road and driveway.

* Trim trees and tall shrubs to allow overhead clearance in case fire-fighting equipment has to be used on your property.

* Make sure home address is visible from the street so that firefighters can easily find it.

* Stack firewood at least 100 feet from house.