Gretchen Hoffman
The charred brush areas of the Verdugo Mountains, the site of the
largest brush fire in Glendale in 20 years, are no longer a fire
hazard, but they pose a new threat in their barrenness -- flooding
and erosion -- that could affect nearby homes in Burbank.
"The fuel was so dry and it burned so completely that there's
really nothing left to burn up there," Glendale Urban Fire Forester
Doug Nickles said.
The fire, which was battled by more than 600 firefighters and
water-carrying helicopters and airplanes, began about 11:45 a.m.
Sept. 9 about 3/4 of a mile up a service road in Brand Park. The fire
was fully contained two days later, after consuming 752 acres.
"We've got a lot of areas with no vegetation covering them and
they're very susceptible to erosion," Nickles said. "They're so steep
that even without water, erosion occurs. It's already starting."
With winter weather on the horizon, and the possibility of rain,
fire officials are working with a variety of agencies to clear debris
basins and protect the fire roads in the area, Glendale Battalion
Chief Mike Haney said.
"As the rains come this winter, that will be taking a lot of the
topsoil and the burn debris right down into the canyons and into the
basin," Nickles said.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District have
already been out to the Brand basin to determine how much debris
needs to be excavated.
Glendale Fire officials are working with the city public works
department to install protective structures. They are keeping their
eye on several areas that are considered at-risk -- depending on the
extent of the erosion, they might not be able to keep all of the
roads accessible throughout the winter, Nickles said.
Burbank fire crews will check local hillsides for flood dangers
created by fire lines that were cut to protect homes from the fire,
Burbank Fire Marshal Dave Starr said. No homes are threatened at this
point, officials said. Investigators are still trying to determine
the cause of the fire, which is considered suspicious.
"There was no evidence that it was an accidental fire," Haney
said.
