New Weapons Unveiled in Battle Against Wildfires

Selecting a rugged site to underscore the difficulty of battling wildfires, Los Angeles firefighters Wednesday showcased new weapons--including foam, gel and compact trucks--in their arsenal to combat blazes.

Firefighters showed off the equipment at a news conference, with Mayor Richard Riordan and city Fire Chief William Bamattre, at Station 108 on Mulholland Drive overlooking Franklin Canyon.

Fire officials chose the setting to demonstrate how they would battle brush fires by using smaller firetrucks capable of negotiating narrow canyon roads, as well as foam and gel fire retardants to keep flames from spreading.

The newer technology will be used along with traditional water-dropping aircraft and helicopters.

“Our goal,” Bamattre said, “is to hit the fire with overwhelming force.”

The equipment arrived in time for a potentially explosive brush fire season that runs from September through January, officials said.

“The fire conditions are more extreme this year because we’ve seen more growth and less rainfall than in previous years,” said Deputy Chief Jimmy Hill.

To battle blazes this season, Los Angeles County fire officials have contracted with Canadian fire companies to deploy two fixed-wing aircraft to drop water on brush fires. Each airplane, called a Super Scooper, can drop 1,600 gallons of water at a time.

In addition, city firefighters would use a helicopter capable of dropping 2,600 gallons of water and six water-dropping helicopters, each capable of releasing 320 gallons at a time, officials said.

While the air strikes are underway, officials said, ground crews would spray unburned brush, trees, fences and structures with a layer of fire retardant foam or gel. Property owners can spray a mixture of gel and water from a garden hose onto trees, plants, houses and other combustibles.

The gel, which is available commercially and similar to the material found in disposable diapers, absorbs water and creates a protective barrier. A Florida firefighter created the retardant after he discovered disposable diapers were slow to burn in a fire.

Even with all the high-tech equipment, officials said residents and business owners are the first line of defense. By law, they noted, hazardous native bush must be cleared within 200 feet of any structure.

Fire officials also recommend that property owners cut dead branches hanging over roofs, remove tree limbs within 10 feet of chimneys, screen chimneys with one-inch wire mesh to keep sparks from flying, clean gutters and eaves, and consider buying a gas-powered pump and a fire hose to use pool water to fight fires.

So far, fire officials have completed 172,000 inspections and have issued 31,000 noncompliance notices, Bamattre said. Of that number, all but 8,000 have complied with the law, he said.