Fire Officials Encourage Wildfire Preparedness

In case of a wildfire, being prepared is the best defense.

Brentwood and Pacific Palisades Community Councils hosted a joint hillside communities fire safety meeting at Paul Revere Middle School on March 4, galvanizing residents to organize and prepare ahead of a wildfire event.

LAFD fire inspector John Novela encouraged residents to protect their homes and families by creating a defensible space – 200 feet of clean, open space around a home.

Removing dead shrubs, dried grass, fallen branches and dried leaves from 200 feet around your house can create a defensible space, he said.

Other precautions include filling a 5-foot area at the base of your house with fire resistant materials like rocks or gravel, checking and cleaning roofs and gutters from debris, trimming overhanging branches and storing flammable materials like propane tanks and woodpiles away from structures.

“The more clearance you have around your home, the better chance we’ll have to save it,” Novela said, adding that brush inspection will begin May 1 for homes in the Palisades and Brentwood areas.

“We want to work with homeowners to make sure you take the right steps to defend your home should a fire occur,” he added.

Novela also suggested having an emergency supply of water and encouraged residents to make sure they know how to shut off their gas and electric during a fire or other emergency.

“Don’t wait until a fire is already burning to have a plan,” he said “Be prepared for emergencies: fires, earthquakes, even tsunamis. Talk to your families, neighbors and friends. Having a plan and the tools in place to make it on your own for a period of time can make a big difference.”

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Albert Torres, senior park ranger for the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, warned residents to be cautious of the plants and vegetation surrounding their homes, including those naturally occurring.

“I love the habitat of this area, but I’m also cautious of it. Many of the native plants are drought resistant but may also burn because of the oils,” he said. “Emergency preparedness is what it’s all about. We must be prepared.”

Torres also works largely with transient encampments in open spaces and thanked the newly formed Pacific Palisades Homeless Task Force for their support.

Katie Martel from California Fire Safe Council acknowledged that many area residents have chosen to live in the area because they like the open space and wild lands, but noted that these areas are at high risk for wildfires.

“When we find a balance, we can protect the wild lands and protect our homes if we take precautions,” Martel said. “Our goal is to encourage the development of local fire safe councils to take this message back to their communities and encourage them as a neighbor helping a neighbor.

California Fire Safe Council exists to educate and empower residents by administering fire prevention grants throughout California and training and providing workshops for residents to develop sustainable councils in communities,

Martel likened the council to a neighborhood watch with a fire safety emphasis, calling it a “grassroots movement for the community, by the community to talk about hazards and risk to work together to make a difference.”