Councilwoman Calls For Discussion of Fire Maps

Saying that homeowners are significantly alarmed, City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski summoned top city Fire Department officials to the council Wednesday to discuss their controversial brush fire “pre-attack” maps.

The maps, which were completed in April, have come under fire from some inside the department who say the maps show the hillside homes with wooden shingles that would be written off in the event of major, fast-moving blaze.

Fire Chief William Bamattre told lawmakers the maps are intended to provide firefighters with more precise information to help battle wind-driven blazes. But the chief and others in the department have acknowledged that they are forced to make quick decisions about protecting homes during major fires based on weather, staffing and other considerations.

The maps, he said, provide firefighters with valuable information about water supplies, street access routes, evacuation locations and, also, homes with wood shingle roofs.

Ron Harmon, a Los Angeles firefighter who has written a booklet on brush fires, said the maps, however, clearly show the homes that firefighters can ignore in a major fire. He said firefighters are practicing “structural triage,” meaning they decide which houses to save and which to write off.

Bamattre sought hard to quell lawmakers’ concerns over the inflammatory issue. He will appear before the council’s public safety committee later this month to further address the issue.