Ryan Carter
With a recent brush fire in the Glendale hillsides and the
frequent dispatch of crews to help with fires around southern
California, Burbank and Glendale officials said that this summer has
been one of their busiest.
And as October marks Fire Prevention Month, officials are warning
residents to remain vigilant about the potential for more fire.
"It's our primary season," Glendale Fire Capt. Gerald Miller said
of September and October. "And it basically goes until the end of the
year."
The combination of dry brush, little rain and the Santa Ana winds
make the area vulnerable to fire, Miller said.
The conditions in Burbank, where a major brush fire has not
scorched hillsides in about 15 years, have officials on edge.
"Our fuel conditions were worse this year than normal because of
less precipitation than the year before," Burbank Fire Marshal Dave
Starr said. "We still face the potential added risk of the typical
wind and dry conditions that come this time of year. And when you
have the Santa Anas, that could exacerbate any kind of fire."
This year, Starr said, conditions not usually experienced until
now were seen in June, which made for a particularly dangerous
summer.
Starr said a potentially rainy season is on the horizon. If that
doesn't come, the fire season will continue into next year.
"But it's going to take some significant rains before conditions
will improve significantly," he said.
Starr warned residents to remain vigilant about fire dangers,
including clearing brush and keeping an eye out for suspicious
activity that could lead to arson.
"An awareness on the part of residents is critical," he said.
Miller, also a Glendale brush inspector, said the recent 752-acre
fire in Glendale burned out the brush that fueled it, reducing fire
danger in that area but creating erosion risks. He also said it did
not reduce the hillside risks farther north in Montrose and La
Crescenta, where brush hasn't burned for decades.
