Fires in Los Angeles have burned over 2000 homes and businesses with no signs of containment or slowing down. High winds and dry conditions created a literal firestorm that is still burning homes, business and apartments buildings stretching from the Pacific Palisades to Pasadena, with new fires popping up in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon.
These aren’t just homes nestled into trees or in forested neighborhoods – parts of Santa Monica were under evacuation notice yesterday and a majority of the town of Altadena has burned to the ground. These communities look similar to the City of Twentynine Palms or the Town of Yucca Valley – single family homes on small lots… Businesses and homes built in the mid-century or earlier.
High-speed winds aren’t uncommon in the hi-desert, and the last two winters have brought more rain than previous years. While all that precipitation adds to our water table and snowpack levels, it also encourages invasive grasses and weeds to sprout up and dry out, creating a literal tinderbox in empty lots or yards that don’t rake and remove the dry tufts of invasive red brome or bermuda grass.
The devastating fires currently burning in Los Angeles are a grim warning that these types of fires can light off quickly, and spread fast in the dry windy conditions. An ember from one fire can land in a yard or roof, smoldering until flames explode and repeat the pattern. This is how a single brush fire can quickly consume entire neighborhoods, and make no mistake – this is entirely possible here in the hi-desert as well as the rest of California.
What can you do to prepare? First off – eliminate any outdoor fires from your plans this winter. The Morongo Basin has gone more of 2024 without considerable amounts of measurable rainfall and seasonal changes to colder weather doesn’t reduce the risk of a wildfire. While campfires and other outdoor fires are currently permitted, think twice before adding them to your evening plans.
Take a moment to make sure you are prepared to leave your home in a hurry. Keeping important paperwork and things like family photos backed up digitally will give you more peace of mind if you have to quickly abandon your home or automobile during an evacuation order. A “go-bag” with essential items for you, your family and your pets is also a simple way to prepare for the worst.
You can also make sure your home and property has a defensible space around it – meaning weeds, garbage and other ignitable sources are kept away from the outside of your home.
Most importantly, if you hear of an evacuation warning or order – follow it immediately. Residents staying behind to defend their homes are often not as prepared as they think, and put first responders and others at risk if they need to be rescued.
State resources are spread thin as neighboring counties and states are providing assistance to the unprecedented fires – please – stay safe and help keep the hi-desert wildfire free.
Help those affected by fires in Los Angeles County:
How to help those affected by fires raginst across Los Angeles County (LA TIMES)
Resources:
Prepare for Wildfires (CAL FIRE)
Alerts and Warning Sytems (SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT)
