State agency officials says brush clearance isn’t enough to protect homes and lives from fires. A June 25 town hall forum will address conflicting priorities of government agencies and residents.
By Vicky Shere / Special to the Malibu Times
Last spring, Gisela Guttman spoke to fire officials about a vacant property across the street from her home.
The 30-year Malibu resident was horrified about overgrown eucalyptus trees and brush on the property in a year of record drought.
A few months later, Los Angeles County agricultural department workers trimmed the highly combustible eucalyptus trees and cleared the brush.
It shouldn’t take so long for brush to be cleared, particularly in the “global warming”-induced, “year-long,” fire season, Guttman said.
In another display of property owner frustration, victims of last November’s Corral fire and their insurance companies filed approximately $513.2 million worth of claims against the state, alleging, among other things, improper brush clearance by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Three years worth of lawsuits might result from rejection of the claims, James Devitt, one of the fire victims’ attorneys, told The Malibu Times last week. In a telephone call, State Parks spokesperson Roy Stearns said the department would decide how to proceed when it knows whether fire victims will litigate.
Fearing another catastrophic fire, Malibu residents and officials are asking whether current brush clearance policies by the Fire Department and those by state and federal agencies are enough to protect homes and lives.
The City of Malibu plans to address these concerns later this month, City Manager Jim Thorsen said. A June 25 town hall forum on lessons learned from last year’s Malibu wildfires will include representatives from government agencies to answer questions on standards and implementation.
State Parks brush clearance not enough
In an e-mail responding to these issues, Maria Grycan, a Los Angeles Fire Department community services representative, said the department does not believe current brush clearance procedures are outdated and that different agencies might have conflicting missions.
The county mails an annual notice of brush clearance rules in February, Grycan said during a joint interview with Assistant Chief Anthony Williams at Fire Station 70 in Malibu.
The notice states that inspections begin inland on May 15 and on June 1 for coastal areas, county forestry assistant Richie Anderson said in a telephone interview. Firefighters inspect improved property, while the agriculture department inspects vacant property.
If there are deficiencies, a property owner has 30 days to correct them, Grycan said. A decision to have the agriculture department clear noncompliant property might occur a month later.
Deadlines are extended if the property owner seems to be making an effort and if the fire department’s Brush Clearance Unit is consulted, or if it takes time to locate a property owner, Williams said.
“We try to give people every chance to comply but our job is to enforce the Fire Code,” Williams said. “We create a defensible space to protect life, property and the environment.”
Pointing to an internal fire department document showing that the Topanga and Kanan/Decker fire corridors have not had a major blaze in 14 and 22 years, respectively, Williams said, “Brush clearance is a year-round job, like weeding a garden. If everyone followed these guidelines, there would be fewer issues in the canyons.”
A representative of state parks explained a different perspective, a greater danger from wind-borne embers rather than insufficient brush clearance.
State park policy, based on the work of U.S. Forest Service scientist Dr. Jack Cohen, has brush cleared or thinned about 100 feet from structures, rather than the 200 feet called for by the Fire Code, Suzanne Goode, a senior environmental scientist with state parks, said in a telephone interview. (The National Parks Service did not return repeated calls.)
Cohen’s research states that wind-borne embers, called “firebrands,” pose the greatest risk for multiple home ignitions within a 100 feet ignition zone.
“Clearance distance does not protect against embers,” Goode said. “Look what happened [last October ] when palm trees caught fire at the [Malibu Colony Plaza] shopping center.”
To protect against fire, property owners should have Class A, non-combustible roofing and double-glazed windows; cover attic and eave vents with one-eighth-inch non-combustible screening; clear rain gutters and rooftops of debris; and remove vegetation under decks, Goode said.
The June 25 town hall meeting, an outgrowth of the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council Alliance created last November, and the first goal in Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich’s “100-Day Plan,” is meant to make information available to property owners and managers.
“We want to hear from the public about their issues so we can have greater stewardship of property without destroying the native environment,” city manager Thorsen said.
Yard waste can be brought to City of Malibu Brush Clearance Event June 13-14, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Legacy Park at Civic Center Way or HOWS Market at Pacific Coast Highway at Trancas Canyon Road. Free mulch will be provided at Legacy Park.
The City of Malibu Town Hall Meeting on Emergency Preparedness takes place June 25, at 7 p.m., Malibu Performing Arts Center, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road (behind City Hall).
Fire Department tips
Home landscaping and yard
€ Remove flammable vegetation within 50 feet of structures. Thin out other vegetation an additional 150 feet from structures, to a total of 200 feet.
€ Regularly remove dead branches and leaves
€ Landscape with drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants
€ Space trees and shrubs a minimum of 15 feet apart from other shrubs
€ Trees should be spaced a minimum of 30 feet between canopies at maturity
€ For trees taller than 18 feet, prune lower branches so they are either within or 6 feet off the ground
€ For trees and shrubs less than 18 feet, prune lower branches to one-third of their height
€ Remove all combustible materials, including lawn furniture, near structures
€ Stack wood at least 30 feet from structures. Remove flammable vegetation within 10 feet of woodpiles
€ Locate fixed butane/propane tanks at least 10 feet from structures and maintain 10 feet of clearance
Home access
€ Identify at least two exit routes from your neighborhood
€ Clear back flammable vegetation at least 10 feet from roads and driveways
€ Cut overhanging tree branches above roads to provide minimum of 16 feet of clearance for firefighting vehicles
€ Make sure street names and numbers are visible at intersections
€ Post address on front of house or next to vehicle entrance
Maintenance
€ Cover attic and eave vents with 1/8-inch non-combustible screening
€ Constantly clear combustible material from rain gutters and rooftops
Sources: Los Angeles County and Anchorage, Alaska Fire Departments; www.lacofd.org, www.muni.org