California Fire News

La Habra Heights - Let it burn or go to jail Posted: 27 Dec 2007 10:27 AM CST La Habra Heights tussles over fighting fires The city bans citizen firefighting, but residents bemoan a lack of engines and fire personnel. Some have taken matters onto their own trucks. As residents of Malibu used their own firetruck last month to protect their street from flames, homeowners on the other side of Los Angeles County were doing a slow burn. Residents of rustic La Habra Heights are prohibited from rolling out personal fire engines to fight wildfires in their neighborhood of million-dollar homes. Map Officials of the hilly, brush-covered city on the Orange County line say it's against the law for anyone other than members of La Habra Heights' two-truck volunteer fire department to "provide or conduct firefighting" within the 7-square-mile city. La Habra Heights' city attorney issued a cease-and-desist order to the owner of a firetruck, warning that he could face misdemeanor charges if he used his 250-gallon pumper truck to fight fires. George Edwardz said he was shocked to learn that "that kind of activity will get you thrown in jail and a $1,000 fine." Edwardz, 39, an executive vice president of a communications firm that does satellite work for TV broadcasters, has lived in La Habra Heights for five years. He bought his 1980 four-wheel-drive pumper truck for $7,200 from a department in Montour Falls, N.Y., in early 2006 after becoming alarmed at the slow response to his neighborhood. Sometimes, he said, it takes more than 12 minutes for La Habra Heights' fire engines -- which travel through La Habra in Orange County -- to reach his neighborhood. When he acquired his 1 1/2 -acre hillside property in 2002 he was concerned about fire protection, Edwardz said. But local maps indicated there were five fire stations scattered across La Habra Heights, including one just a quarter-mile from his house, he said. "I never went down physically to see it was there," Edwardz said. When he finally hunted the place down, he found that "Fire Station 5" was an unoccupied, single-vehicle garage behind a church. In fact, he discovered, La Habra Heights has only one fire station, and it is on the opposite side of town. It is staffed by volunteers, along with some paid professionals moonlighting from their regular jobs with other fire departments. Edwardz said he bought the New York firetruck and drove it cross-country intending to donate it to La Habra Heights to be used in the unoccupied Station 5. With its all-terrain drive, compact size and ability to pump water from backyard swimming pools, the pumper would be perfect for his neighborhood's narrow streets and steep driveways, he figured. The city declined his offer, however, he said. So Edwardz and some neighbors formed a Fire Watch group, modeled after an Arson Watch program operated by a citizens group in Topanga Canyon. La Habra Heights Fire Watch has 30 members. Eight have been trained by professional firefighters to operate Edwardz's firetruck. This summer, Fire Watch member Karen Vipperman spent $13,000 to buy a second fire engine, a 1984 pumper formerly used to fight wildfires in rural Washington state. It is also equipped with four-wheel drive, can pump from swimming pools and carries 250 gallons of water that can be tripled in volume with a special foam device. "We don't answer fire calls. But if I see my neighbor's house on fire, I'll fight it," Vipperman said. "I live on an 8-acre ranch, and I'm concerned about the city's fire station being so far from us." Edwardz said it was Oct. 12, 2006, when he drove a few hundred yards from his home to check on a plume of smoke and ran afoul of La Habra Heights' citizen firefighting ban. "I thought it was a wildfire. But it was a car that had caught fire next to the brush. A La Habra motorcycle cop was there and he instructed me to start hosing down the car. I told him my training was for wildfires. He said to cool down the car, then," Edwardz said. Source: Article LA Times

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California Fire News

[LAFD] Helicopter FIRE-3 - Hoist Rescue - 250' above canyon floor Posted: 27 Dec 2007 01:19 AM CST [LAFD] Firefighters from helicopter FIRE-3 demonstrated skill and bravery when called upon this afternoon. Firefighters responded to a 9-1-1 call for an injured hiker, in a steep hillside area between El Escorpion Park and Bell Canyon. One of the hikers, an 18 year old man fell approximately 20 feet and fractured a leg and had minor trauma to the head. His friend was able to climb down to an intersection, then direct the fire companies to the victim. The firefighters found that the rescue uphill would be too steep to perform safely. They called for a hoist rescue and air operations sent Fire-3 to affect a rescue with Fire-1 as the safety observer. As an additional safety precaution, E105 and E106 assisted Ground to Air communications for Fire-3. The helicopter crew of Fire-3 under the direction of Crew Chief-Dave Norquist demonstrated why LAFD firefighters are the best in the world. Pilot-Phil Clark skillfully maneuvered the airship in a canyon, where the erratic wind gusts can make a steady work platform difficult. Helitak Safety-Member Robert Steinbacher was in direct communication with coworker Firefighter-Paramedic William Dunn as he was lowered to the fall victim. For about 20 minutes the pilot held the airship in a steady hover, despite sudden gusts of wind. Paramedic Dunn dangled 110' feet down from the helicopter 250' above the canyon floor. Alone on a steep hillside, without room for a second Paramedic(the footing was limited), Firefighter Dunn stabilized,splinted and packaged a patient into a stokes litter basket, before being hoisted to safety. Paramedics Steinbacher and Dunn continued treatment enroute to the emergency room at Northridge Hospital. The young man was listed in fair-stable condition. Truly these unsung hero's of the LAFD can make all Angelino's proud of their Fire Department

News: San Juan OK's firefighter $15 stipend Posted: 26 Dec 2007 12:30 PM CST San Juan OK's firefighter stipend, cuts deputy HOLLISTER - The San Juan Bautista City Council approved a $15-per-call stipend Tuesday for its volunteer fire department. In order to afford the payments, officials "moved things around" in the budget, said Councilman Ed Laverone, including cutting one of the city's two sheriff's deputies. The stipend has been touted by many, including Laverone and Fire Chief Scott Freels, as a first step toward solving the Mission City's firefighter shortage. In September, Freels told the Free Lance that the size of San Juan Bautista's fire department had fallen from 26 to 10 members in about two years. Most of the city's current firefighters aren't interested in money, he said, but the stipend could help in finding new recruits. "The discussion of the stipend has already helped with recruitment efforts," said Laverone, a former volunteer firefighter himself. The new payment system - which the council approved only as a pilot system - will start Jan. 1, Laverone said. To receive the stipend, firefighters will have to file requests for payment, so they can continue to volunteer without a stipend if they want. With the city's budget problems, the elimination of one sheriff's deputy was already in the works, Laverone said. The Mission City contracts with the San Benito County Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement. Cutting back will save the city $67,500 for the rest of the fiscal year, he said, of which $7,500 has been budgeted for the stipends. Source: Article

News: Airport manager defends layout switch Posted: 26 Dec 2007 11:35 AM CST HOLLISTER - Airport Manager Bill Gere's plans for the Hollister Municipal Airport have drawn some sharp criticism, but Gere defended his proposed layout plan Friday. Gere presented the council with the new layout Monday, but some airport users complained that the plan left out a new California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection air-attack base, as well as facilities for gliders. "Every issue brought up had been brought up in the past," Gere said. Many of those speaking out against the plan are protecting "specific, selfish interests," he added, rather than focusing on the welfare of the airport or the city as a whole. Three members of the Hollister Airport Advisory Commission - Douglas Hooten, Fred Meyer and Allen Ritter - said the document had been changed since the commission recommended it for approval. "The layout plan presented to the city council was different from the one presented to the airport commission, and that's a problem," City Manager Clint Quilter said Friday. The council did not vote on the plan, and instead called for a special airport commission meeting to iron out the differences between the commission-approved layout and the one brought to the council. That meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 3, Gere said. Specifically, the commission-approved plan included a new air-attack base, while the proposed plan left that area open for development to be determined by a "request for proposal." Ritter said Friday he also wants to see a glider facility back on the plans. Asked why the plans were different, Quilter said: "I don't know. My assumption is that someone redrafted it." Gere acknowledged that he had revised the layout plan after it was shown to the airport commission. But the changes were not substantial, he said. "I did not change anything," he said. "I went from one depiction supplied by CalFire to another depiction supplied by the CalFire." Gere added that it's unfair to imply that he is trying to "pull a fast one" on the council and the airport commission. "You can't pull a fast one when (the plan) is taped up on a wall in front of the city council," Gere said. Ritter, a former airport manager himself, said Gere's behavior was inappropriate. "I would've never done that," Ritter said. The land in question has been the subject of debate and controversy in recent months, as developer Andy Barnes proposed building corporate hangars on the land that CalFire wants. Gere said Friday there's a way to meet both groups' needs because CalFire can expand at its current site. "We know why they need a new facility, because the old ones sucks," he said. "But we don't know why they need to move." The city council has directed the airport commission to develop a "request for proposal" that will allow Barnes' firm and other companies to present their plans. The proposed layout plan reflects the wishes of the council and the Federal Aviation Administration, Gere said. He added that it can be revised once the CalFire situation is resolved. "We are still free to do any or all of the options," Gere said. Article source: Holister Freeelance

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RED FLAG WARNINGS - Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, LPF Posted: 25 Dec 2007 06:07 PM CST Red flag warning continues for much of Ventura and Los Angeles county through this evening due to strong north to northeast winds and low humidities A BRIEF BUT STRONG SANTA ANA WIND EVENT IS OCCURRING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY. WIDESPREAD RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES BELOW 30 PERCENT ARE OCCURRING WITH LOCAL VALUES IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS. AT THE SAME TIME FUEL MOISTURES HAVE FALLEN TO CRITICAL VALUES AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF OFFSHORE WINDS LEADING INTO THIS EVENT ACROSS VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY. ALL TOGETHER THIS HAS RESULTED IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND RISE ABOVE RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA BY THIS EVENING. ... RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES... NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 80 MPH THROUGH FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. SCATTERED HUMIDITY LEVELS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS WILL BE COMMON. Instruction: A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING NOW. A COMBINATION OF VERY STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING. Area: SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS / ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST- Affected Counties or parts of: Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles Sent: 2007-12-25T10:06:47-08:00 Original Sender: KLOX@nwws.oes.ca.gov From: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA

Santa Ana winds reaching category 1 hurricane speeds Posted: 25 Dec 2007 03:23 PM CST Santa Ana winds reaching category 1 hurricane speeds in parts of Orange County today and have reached peaks of 85 mph. These winds have caused numerous scattered power outages. A vegetation fire that was believed caused by downed power lines was controlled by crews from Orange County Fire Authority, and the Riverside County Fire Department-Cal Fire. The two-acre brush fire was reported at 8:40 a.m. at the westbound Riverside (91) Freeway at Green River, on the Orange and Riverside County border. A helicopter and 40 firefighters put out the two-acre vegetation fire this morning at Green River Road south of Highway 91 in Corona, said Riverside County fire Capt. Lori Windsor. The fire was reported at 8:53 a.m. and was contained by 9:17 a.m., Windsor said. Wind gusts peaked at 85 mph at 10 this morning in Fremont Canyon, and in Bell Canyon, speeds got up to 46 mph at 7 a.m., according to the Department of Water Resources California Data Exchange Center. Southern California Edison crews have been working to restore power to more than 112,000 customers system wide who have lost power since midnight today. About 9,000 customers were reported to still be without power as of 11 this morning, including 300 in Los Angeles and Orange counties, an Edison spokesman said. Virtually all of the outages were in the Inland Empire. Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol officials said the high wind caused a 44-foot boat to break loose, causing minor damage to private docks at the Newbort Harbor Yacht Club at 9:35 this morning. No injuries were reported.

EDIS: RED FLAGS - LOS ANGELES/VENTURA COUNTIES Posted: 25 Dec 2007 03:11 PM CST RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST- Update sent at 10:06 PST on 2007-12-25 RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed VENTURA COUNTY COAST- Update sent at 10:06 PST on 2007-12-25 RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS- Update sent at 10:06 PST on 2007-12-25 RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed VENTURA COUNTY INTERIOR VALLEYS-VENTURA COUNTY COASTAL VALLEYS-SANTA CLARITA VALLEY- Update sent at 10:06 PST on 2007-12-25 RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY THROUGH THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS / ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST- Update sent at 10:06 PST on 2007-12-25

News: CAL FIRE Extra Staffing this Holiday Posted: 25 Dec 2007 10:40 AM CST Christmas Day should be sunny, but Cal Fire wary of high winds San Diego County residents will be celebrating Christmas under sunny skies today although firefighters will be bracing for potential wind-driven fires. While recent rains have helped dampen some areas, high winds are expected to keep firefighters on alert for much of the day throughout Southern California. Wind warnings are expected to be issued in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. In San Diego County, winds are not expected to be as strong, Stan Wasowski, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, said yesterday. Santa Ana winds of up to 50 mph are expected to blow across San Diego County mountains until the afternoon, he said. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s along the coast and valley areas, 70 in the desert and low 60s in mountain areas. Cal Fire, the state's forestry and fire protection agency, plans to have extra firefighters on duty today. Additional helicopters will be available, said Kevin O'Leary, a division chief with Cal Fire. "We're ready for it," he said. Shifting winds and lack of firefighting resources were major factors in the October wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes across the county. The Navy and Marine Corps each will have two helicopters ready to help out, O'Leary said. The state sent an additional helicopter, which arrived at the Ramona airport yesterday, he said. Firefighters who were scheduled to be off today were told to report for duty, O'Leary said. Volunteer fire stations in backcountry areas were expected to boost staffing today, he said. Fire officials said areas that did not get much rainfall recently are the most vulnerable, mainly in South County. O'Leary said extra engine companies were being added to stations in Campo, Monte Vista and Ramona. The San Diego Fire Department does not plan to increase staffing today but will be monitoring weather conditions closely, spokesman Maurice Luque said. "If there is a need we'll do it," he said. Recent rains reduced fire danger in the city by moistening areas with heavy brush, he said. Source: Article

EDIS: So Cal - Red Flags for Christmas Posted: 25 Dec 2007 10:34 AM CST RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MST /6 PM PST/ THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG NORTH WINDS... LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGH FIRE DANGER Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 132SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST DESERTS-CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 232IMPERIAL COUNTY AND EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY- Alert sent at 07:29 PST on 2007-12-25

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