Verdugo Mountains

BURBANK — The city of Los Angeles purchased 80 acres of park land in the Verdugo Mountains above Burbank from a private developer, further expanding the fourth-largest wildlife refuge in the San Fernando Valley. Verdugo Mountain Park, a more than 500-acre refuge located northeast of the Bob Hope Airport, provides a dense haven of brush and chaparral plants for everything from lizards to snakes to bobcats and mountain lions, said John Kirk Mukri, general manager of Los Angeles' Department of Recreation and Parks.

It was a little too close for comfort. But in the end, the fires that blackened local canyons and hillsides recently were beaten back by responders whose fight was as intense as the roaring flames that came so close to homes. This is a chance to say thanks to up to 1,400 firefighters from multiple agencies who spent four days last week battling the 1,100-acre blaze in the Verdugo Mountains. Surely, without their effort, homes would have been destroyed and perhaps severe injury would have followed.

Burbank Fire officials expect the areas scorched in the Verdugo Mountains fire to continue to hold heat for at least two weeks, requiring personnel to be ready to respond to any flare-ups such as the one doused Thursday. The main danger now is if the Santa Ana winds pick up and re-ignite the flames. "The fire is not active but it is alive out there," interim Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini told the City Council Tuesday during an overview of the four-day fire.

Firefighters have a blaze that consumed 1,100 acres of brush over four days in the Verdugo Mountains, but not without some help from local businesses and nonprofits, who were called upon to help authorities as they worked around the clock fighting fire. "They're supplying food, sandwiches, anything we need all over the place," said Kirk Wishart, an engineer with Burbank Fire, adding that Wienerschnitzel even hauled a trailer to a firefighter camp to feed personnel.

The line at the Tony Roma's table extended out 10 feet, hands down the longest at Thursday night's second annual Taste of Burbank. And those hands would have been streaked with the barbecue sauce from the chicken legs and ribs being served by restaurant employees. Arleta resident Mike Shanto was among those who lined up for a sampling of Roma's fare. "I love the food and I love the city and the music," Shanto said. San Fernando Boulevard between Orange Grove Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard was closed down for the event.

Mark R. Madler As the morning clouds broke, hikers from the Sierra Club made their way up the fire road into the Verdugo Mountains, shouldering backpacks and taking in the view. Joining club members Sunday was state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, who was making his first visit into the Verdugos. "I'm sort of a High Sierra granite hiker, but this is lovely and wonderful," Lockyer said as he stood in the mountains, enjoying the vista of Burbank and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Mark R. Madler The City Council this week reappointed incumbent members of the BurbankGlendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and city Planning Board while greeting new faces for other commissions and committees. All told, the council Tuesday night made appointments to 12 citizen-advisory bodies. The boards give input to the City Council and department heads on policy, while others, like the Civic Pride Committee, organize events to boost interest in Burbank's image.

Jackie Conley As he made his way down a trail in Wildwood Canyon, 6-year-old James Lord stopped to admire several fallen pine cones. "Look at this one," James said as he shared with the rest of the group what he discovered. James was one of six children who participated Wednesday in Wilderness Adventures, a program offered by the city's Park, Recreation and Community Services Department. For James, the 3.5-mile hike was a chance for him to explore a different world.

Jackson Bell State and local officials, prompted by a mountain lion sighting in the Verdugo Mountains last month, are warning hikers and cyclists to be more aware of their surroundings. There has been a threefold increase in reported sightings around the state since two bicyclists were attacked by a mountain lion in Orange County on Jan. 8, officials from the state Department of Fish and Game said. "There have been more reports because awareness is sky high," department spokesman Steve Martarano said.

Art in the Verdugo Mountains HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- The Nature's Artists Club begins at 11 a.m. today at Stough Canyon Nature Center. The club is open to people 10 and older interested in drawing, photographing, sculpting or painting in the peaceful and scenic Verdugo Mountains. "Oak trees and our sycamores are losing their leaves, but not a lot," Recreation Supervisor Carol Mercado said. "The oak tree is getting acorns, and the squirrels and scrub jays are going for the acorns."