Authorities reacted quickly last week to extinguish two small brush fires that ignited in the Malibu area, and experts say with extremely dry conditions the fires likely will not be the last.
The first fire broke out at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday last week off Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland Highway when a truck overturned and sparked nearby grass. The driver crawled to safety but the fire spread to two acres. Two Super Scooper airplanes and four helicopters doused the flames and contained the fire within an hour.
A second fire broke out Sunday afternoon at 2:50 p.m. off Corral Canyon Road, about a mile north of Pacific Coast Highway. The fire, which burned an area of about 20 feet by 20 feet, was believed to be caused by a cigarette flicked from a passing motorist.
Chief Seyarto of Malibu Fire Station 70 said when firefighters arrived, bystanders were beating it down with their skateboards and clothes. The fire was knocked down at 3:15 p.m.
In a comment on The Malibu Times website, Malibu resident Steve Woods said his son and his friends were driving on Pacific Coast Highway when they saw smoke, so they drove up Corral Canyon Road and found the fire.
“The fire in a small grassy area below the road was growing, so with skateboards in hand they were able to dig a perimeter around the fire and stomp it out with clothes and dirt before the fire department and other residents arrived to help 10 minutes later,” Woods wrote. “Another 10 minutes in the above normal winds conditions may have blocked Corral Canyon residents from our only egress.”
Fire officials are saying the recent fires may just be signs of more to come.
“The hillsides have been behaving like it is later in the year,” said Ins. Tony Akins of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD). “While it’s always fire season in Southern California, we believe we are reaching the apex of the season.”
In preparation for the fire season, the LACFD in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service has monitored the fuel moisture levels daily and has been staffing certain agencies based upon the level of possible danger.
The signs posted along Pacific Coast Highway gauging the current level of fire danger are updated often, Akins said. The danger levels are contingent upon the moisture content in fuel such as brush, shrubs, trees and grass.
According to the L.A. County Fire Department website, fuel moisture determines if certain fuels will burn, how quickly and completely they will burn, and what phases of combustion the fuels will support.
According to Akins, Malibu has traits that make it susceptible to fire danger.
“The weather, topography and fuel in the area form a trifecta for fires to start,” Ins. Akins said.
The naturally growing vegetation, such as chaparral, sage and chemise, are fuels high in oil content, while the infamous Santa Ana winds that blow through the canyons in Malibu have the potential to fan wildfires. The winds are a phenomenon that peak through early November and usually last for a few days at a time, but they have been known to blow until March.
Residents of fire prone areas like Malibu are advised to take the proper precautions in the effort to curb wildfires.
“More than 90 percent of wildfires are human caused,” Ins. Akins said. “Folks should not mow their lawns on hot days and practice safe towing by not letting chains drag from vehicles.”
For more information on how to prepare for wildfires visit www. preventwildfireca.org.