Cleared brush credited with saving homes

[Cocoa]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20051002-9999-1n2fires.html

LOS ANGELES – With flames racing toward housing tracts, it looked as if entire neighborhoods would be incinerated last week by the Topanga wildfire, which consumed more than 24,000 acres. But only three houses were lost and up to 3,000 were spared, a statistic credited in part to brush clearance and fire-retardant construction materials.

Good weather and water-dropping helicopters that flew at night also helped 3,000 firefighters on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties avert what could have been a catastrophe, fire officials said.

Fresh in the minds of many are the disastrous 2003 Southern California fires that claimed 24 lives and more than 3,700 homes. One of those blazes in San Diego, the Cedar Fire, scorched more than 273,000 acres and killed 15 people.

However, as of late yesterday, no one had died or was seriously injured by the Topanga blaze.

more...

[jobycom]

1. Cool. They can clear a couple more bushes and save the world.

[rzemanfl]

2. Ditto, beat me to it. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. ME ME (too, two)

Clearing of shrubs will save our country from a firestorm.

[cascadiance]

7. And no "Delays" in their response either!

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Wow, glad to know

that Bush was actually doing something productive on his vacation.

[Cocoa]

5. he set a good example for the nation

Bush is the Fire Safety President.

[cascadiance]

6. It's good to see disaster management done right for a change!

Looking at how close this fire got to many residential areas and how they were so successful in keeping it out, I think kudos should be given to those who dealt with these fires. My sister is certainly thankful to them, as she was one that might have had her house burn up if they hadn't. I would hope those directly responsible for making sure brush was cleared properly and that fire crews were deployed properly get the proper and most credit, and those in Washington DC's FEMA people, the governor, and the president don't all try to "leach" credit for this successful operation. Maybe one of them (provided it doesn't deprive our fire people here too much) should be promoted to FEMA head or the like to get some competence up there!

[Ezlivin]

8. Our President has been busy!

Doesn't he spend a good deal of each vacation clearing away brush?

Shame on you liberals who badmouth Bush's hard work!

[LiberalFighter]

20. Did he do the actual cutting with a saw or did someone else do it?

[Ezlivin]

24. He believes in individual responsibility for the Healthy Forest Initiative

If each of you would just cut down a tree near you, we could stop the scourge of deadly forest fires.

[Porcupine]

9. This is no joke in California. Cleared brush is vital to save homes

and too many areas around me don't heed that advice. There are residential areas in CA. that WILL burn and thousands of homes will go up with them. It is as probable as the eventual flooding of New Orleans was.

Clear back 100 feet and plant fire barrier landscape CA folks.

[TahitiNut]

11. Ice Plant. It should be the California State Flower.

After more than 15 years in California, I'm a HUGE fan of ice plant. Beautiful in the springtime, it's even more beautiful as a fire break.

[Retrograde]

12. ice plant is an import

native to South Africa, brought to California in early 1900s to help stabilize soil and planted extensively in coastal areas until the 1970s.
It's replaced native plants along large portions of the coase.

Kinda like people, come to think of it. This California is not particularly fond of it.

[TahitiNut]

17. (Hmmm) Over 60 and I still learn something new every day. (Thank God.)

Thank you for the information. I've reviewed available information and find that the State of California is now removing ice plant for good reason. I also see that there are native plants that serve as fire retardants as well.

(That blooming ice plant sure is pretty, though.)

[dsewell]

19. The infinite uses of ice plant

Kids don't know from non-native plants, of course, and ice plant was central to the existence of the kids in my Southern California neighborhood, where it covered large stretches of hill slope near my house.

• You could break off the succulent leaves and use them as "crayons" to write on the sidewalk.
• You could pick the ripe fruit and use them in iceplant fights, our version of snowball fights.
• You could tear off a long strand and use it as mace in iceplant fights.
• An iceplant-covered slope could be used just like a snow-covered slope. You could sled down it on cardboard, or simply roll down it sideways.

Given the semi-permanence of brown iceplant stains on light clothing, all of this was highly disapproved of by parents, of course.

[kestrel91316]

22. Iceplant is an undesirable alien plant. Crowds out natives.

[henslee]

13. There is one wild bush that is very oily... forgot the name but

when they get hot, they explode in a million sparks.

[mulsh]

14. Austrailian Eucalyptus

imported to the SF bay area in the late 19th century to replace redwoods. unfortunately it doesn't produce usable lumber. We found that out the hard way in the Oakland Hills in 1971 and again in 1991 when 3000 houses burned. Brush also helped spread both fires. I keep my yard pretty much free of brush and eucaluptus.

[henslee]

18. Yes, t hey are awful, I was thinking of manzanita,

I never forget watching a fireman douse a burning plant for a long time... only to watch it flare up and start burning again hours later, from its underground roots, like a candle wick. and then watching firemen risk their lives to save our hood...and then they slept on their truck all night in the blistering wind just to be there in case of another flare up. Put a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

[kestrel91316]

23. Eucalyptus - hmmmpphhhhh

We call those suckers ROMAN CANDLES. Between them and the unpruned palms, you got some real incendiary devices in the event of a fire.

[RC]

10. This is what can be done when your disaster crews and

equipment are not half a world away in Iraq. That was the real problem in New Orleans.

[pfitz59]

15. Adobe walls, tile roofs, steel shutters, xeriscaped garden........AKA

FIREPROOF HOMES! Wood homes suck!

[Lefty48197]

16. It is extremely important to clear away the brush around dwellings in fire

prone areas. Too many Californians have ignored the laws in the past. Some of them have paid the price, and even helped the flames grow, and ultimately damage the property of others.

"Property losses were at a minimum, probably because residents had cleared at least 100 feet of fire-fueling brush from around their dwellings, officials said. "

"It played a huge factor in us being able to save these homes," said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Andrew Olvera.

Save a Malibu home, clear away all the Bushes.

[kineneb]

21. As far as plantings,

check with the California Native Plant Society (I'm a member). They have resources and links on their website. There are also county and regional resources on What Not To Plant.

No Scotch Broom, please. The folks on the north coast and inland hills are working on eradicating it. The stuff tries to take over and is a real fire hazard.

I not fond of ice plant, either. There are excellent alternatives that do not become invasive and are just as good as fire barriers.

I am glad to hear that basic common sense kept so many houses safe. Fire is a natural part of the California landscape, and as such all we can do is take the best precautions we can. Keeping flamable brush and trees away from structures makes good sense. As does using materials that do not readily burn for structures. Shake roofs are not appropriate in fire areas. Wood frame houses are fine, as long as the siding is not easily flamable.

Like earthquakes and floods, fire comes with the turf. We just learn to avoid it damaging our homes.

[spacelady]

25. Unlike the President's photo-op hobby, this brush-clearing actually

is important work.