L.A. gets early start on brush fire prevention
Los Angeles city firefighters, already seeing dangerous fire conditions because of unusually hot and dry weather, will begin inspecting publicly owned hillside properties ahead of schedule this spring, officials announced Thursday.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he is activating a 40-member brush fire task force early because of the danger posed by arid conditions that can fan fires in the hills that ring much of Los Angeles.
“The constant threat [of fires] is a way of life in Los Angeles, and this year we’re not taking any chances,” Villaraigosa said during a news conference in Griffith Park, not far from where a brush fire earlier this week burned 10 acres near Griffith Observatory.
Firefighters annually inspect thousands of properties for fire hazards in the Hollywood Hills, San Pedro, Woodland Hills, Tujunga, El Sereno, Pacific Palisades and other mountainous parts of the city. The inspections of public properties will begin in early April, about a month in advance. Inspection of private properties begins May 1, as planned.
Notices have gone out to property owners ahead of schedule, informing them of the city’s requirement to clear brush 200 feet from all structures in high fire hazard zones. Owners who fail to do so could face up to $584 in fees, plus the cost of the city hiring a crew to clear the property.
Interim Fire Chief Douglas L. Barry said the Fire Department is stepping up other precautions on the most hazardous days, including brush patrols to scout for early signs of fire and the deployment of fire companies to brush areas that face the greatest risk.
He and other fire officials said the prospect of fires was underscored by Monday’s brush fire near the observatory. Firefighters contained the blaze in three hours.
The historic structure was not damaged, but one park ranger was treated at a hospital for minor heat-related injuries, officials said.
“Preparedness is the No. 1 message that [we] must get out,” said City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who joined the mayor at the news conference. “It’s bitter dry. It is so dry, it worries me greatly.”
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