SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Editor in Chief
As temperatures and humidity continue to rise into October, one fact is clear — fire season is well underway. However, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Information Officer Sammy Padilla, the past 12 months have seen similar conditions.
“Normally, our fire season is from September to January, but since the end of last year it’s been all year round,” he said.
Robert McKelvy, deputy director of emergency services for the Department of Public Safety, said the University and local fire fighting agencies have been working to ensure that they are fully prepared for the season.
“California is currently experiencing red-flag conditions throughout the year, including the Santa Monica mountain range,” McKelvy wrote in an e-mail. “Although much of the vegetation has burned around Pepperdine’s Malibu campus, we still have a substantial amount of fuel that can burn. We remain on high alert to any fires that are reported in our area so that we can quickly activate our emergency response plan.”
Already, during the past few months, small blazes have been burning throughout the community. For example, a brush fire along the edge of Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas scorched more than 60 acres of land on Aug. 26, and more recently, on Sept. 26 flames consumed two acres of land near Kanan Dume Road.
However, despite these blazes, Padilla said Malibu’s moisture and high winds should keep major fires from burning in the area any time soon. He said the chances of a large wind-driven fire are low, though fires started from fuel, such as by arsonists, are always a possibility.
In light of the Canyon and Corral Canyon fires that devastated the southland in October and November of last year, each consuming almost 5,000 acres of land, both the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Department of Public Safety said the community should stay alert and aware of changing conditions. Both departments have been making changes to their own programs, as to improve response and fire fighting tactics in the current season and beyond.
“Since last year’s fires, we have increased the amount of training our DPS officers participate in and have increased the number of officers in the process of being state certified as wild land fire fighters,” McKelvy wrote.
Public Safety has three fire engines and 12 state certified firefighters, he said. With respect to changes with L.A. County Fire Department since last year, Padilla said helicopters are now permitted to be dispatched at night, in response to brush fires, if the pilot deems the flight conditions safe.
In addition, the L.A. County Fire Department held its inaugural “Living in the Fire Zone” expo two weekends ago at the Malibu Performing Arts Center to help inform and instruct the community about safety measures. Additional fire expos are scheduled for Oct. 4 in Whittier, Oct. 18 in Santa Clarita, Oct. 25 in Claremont, Nov.15 in Industry and Nov. 22 in the Palos Verdes Peninsula, according to the L.A. County Fire Department.
Though fire is always a threat, McKelvy said the Pepperdine community should feel safe, as both Public Safety and the L.A. County Fire Department are working to uphold a high level of preparedness.
“DPS is currently conducting annual campus-wide fire inspections of the Malibu campus with the L.A. County Fire Department,” he wrote. “During the inspections, we look for areas we can improve on in the area of fire prevention. Also, DPS is continuing state certified wild land fire fighting training for this upcoming season.”
10-02-2008