Living in a fire prone area brought about 100 people to Malibu City Hall Wednesday night for a town hall on fire prevention. The event, originally scheduled June 29, was postponed — ironically — due to two fires burning simultaneously in the Malibu area that day.
A panel of eight including representatives from the fire department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Animal Control and the Red Cross addressed public safety concerns and took questions from the audience.
Important points were hammered home as always, but as Fire Chief Anthony Williams pointed out, there is one essential fire prevention tactic some people just do not follow — and that is brush clearance. Not only will clearing brush around your home help make for a defensible space — it also allows firefighters more access and lessens the dangers they already face while battling blazes. Williams claimed brush clearance notices have already been sent to property owners this year and those who have not complied will be charged for it on their next property tax bill. His comments drew skepticism of some in attendance who told the chief they have been waiting years in some cases for neighbors unwilling to clear brush with seemingly no consequences.
There was another brush clearance question raised by residents of areas near protected public land.
Some in attendance, whose homes abut state parkland or environmentally sensitive habitat areas known as ESHAs, addressed another issue of brush clearance with no definitive solution. Williams indicated a permit may be needed in order to clear brush from such areas, with homeowners bearing the cost of brush trimming near their homes. He did, however, concede the problematic issue of noncontiguous parkland throughout Malibu and the many different governing agencies who have strict guidelines over ESHAs and their maintenance.
There was no simple solution offered.
There were, however, options given for how to be proactive aside from brush clearance.
A representative of Arson Watch encouraged residents to sign up at arsonwatch.com and display a placard on their cars as a reminder to others.
Twenty-seven-year Malibu resident Matt Haines knows all too well about surviving a devastating brush fire, after helping to battle a destructive one in his Corral Canyon neighborhood 10 years ago. He said his community came together afterward to better prepare for future fires that will undoubtedly happen in Malibu given their propensity.
“When you go home tonight, make a list of what you want to take. Don’t wait until a fire comes,” Haines told the crowd. “It was chaos,” he added, about the Corral Canyon Fire that injured seven firefighters and destroyed 49 homes. Haines is now a part of an LA County program, “Call Firefighter,” where citizens become LA County employees working for the fire department. He and seven others in his neighborhood have been trained to operate engine 271 located in Corral Canyon. The crew doesn’t make medical calls, but has been summoned to fires.
There is also the issue of insurance.
In case of a catastrophic loss, local Farmers Insurance agent Mark Ball reminded, “The most important thing with fire insurance is you need to make sure that you have adequate coverage for the value to replace your home, other structures and your personal property.
“I find that quite a few people are underinsured,” Ball said. “Often, for people who have lived here for some time, it’s not unusual that they tuck away their insurance policy in a file cabinet and forget about it, but over time those values actually become outdated given the increased cost in construction and the increased costs to replace new personal belongings that may have been acquired more recently.”
LA County Fire Department Captain Drew Smith reminded the audience that we are now in fire season, which officially runs from June through December, but also pointed out that Malibu and Los Angeles County residents have “the most aggressive and resource-rich public safety workforce in the world.” Still, those in attendance Wednesday evening and many who call Malibu home live a year-round fire season and are always aware of the dangers of a wildfire.
The issue of a recent rash of weed whacker-ignited brush fires was brought up by The Malibu Times, and in response, Allstate Insurance agent Robert Feldman said metal blades on the devices hit rocks that can cause sparks. Williams told a disappointed crowd that so far there are no regulations banning the culprit gardening equipment.
Other audience members called for more “No Smoking” signs to be erected in area parks and on trails. One resident asked sheriff’s representatives about the traffic gridlock that inevitably occurs during evacuations.
“We’re going to do the best we possibly can,” Lt. Jim Royal responded, while also acknowledging that traffic is often gridlocked anyway on certain portions of PCH.
“Our priority is saving lives,” Williams emphasized. “We’re making a triage of homes and lives. If you’re a person who loses a home, that’s of limited comfort to you.”
