While it is easy to understand the desire to ban camping and fire rings in the Malibu mountains, it is more dangerous for there to be no legal camping alternatives as that forces people to camp and build fires illegally in hidden places. Of all the California wild fires, how many have been set in campgrounds or fire rings? They are almost all set intentionally by nuts, or by power lines, or by young people partying in a criminal and irresponsible manner.
It seems obvious that the rangers will close down the campgrounds during the Santa Anas. If they don’t, then the sheriffs or the police or Zuma Jay will.
But to not allow people to sleep out on a beautiful summer night in Malibu is dangerous and unfriendly and unfair. We are happy when the rest of the state chips in to use helicopters to protect our homes, but we won’t share our mountains in ways that let people responsibly enjoy them for the night. Not cool.
I think that the schools all over Los Angeles could and should help out by educating young people about the dangers of fires in the Los Angeles Mountains, and how they can respond to peers acting irresponsibly. They should learn how they can and should help with brush clearance and other forms of fire protection in their communities.
Older students could form arson patrols that patrol the mountains looking for suspicious activities. For all we give up in property taxes, the schools could give back to their communities, and also help teens build community spirit, an emotion far more important than school spirit.
Before you say I must not live in Malibu, I do. I evacuated through flames two years ago. Now I have a sprinkler system on my house and a fire pump for my pool. If you choose to live here, that’s the way to protect your home, not prohibit responsible camping and enjoyment of the area.
Jon Gindick