Fire Hit Area on Flat Terrain

* Re the coverage of the Lemon Heights firestorm in the Oct. 22 edition:

I found the coverage, for the most part, to be very complete, [but] I must take issue with one element of your story.

To some unfamiliar with the Lemon Heights area, your coverage would indicate the neighborhood in question was located on a steep hillside, adjacent to wild terrain. This suggestion is strengthened by the articles discussing building codes in areas designated fire hazard zones and the county’s policies regarding such zoning. Further, there are statements from individuals regarding questions of whether residential building should be allowed adjacent to wild land areas.

What is very misleading about all of this is that homes where this tragedy occurred are located on nearly flat terrain and nearly a mile from any open space. While portions of Lemon Heights are characterized by very steep and rugged hillsides, this area is not among them. Additionally, it is those portions of Lemon Heights, and not the neighborhood struck by the firestorm, that have for years been listed as an extreme fire hazard zone by the county.

What your coverage missed is just how dangerous the combination of shake roofs, overhead power lines, and tall trees can be when the Santa Ana winds hit the area. Such conditions describe most urban neighborhoods in Southern California, and their residents should not think themselves immune to the firestorms they more typically associate with rural areas.

J. GENTILE

Trabuco Canyon