Font ResizeWorried this fire season could be "very active," fire and insurance officials on Monday urged Los Angeles County residents to take precautions to avoid losing their lives and their possessions in the event of a catastrophic blaze.
"The potential for a very active fire season is there," Fire Capt. Mark Savage, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, warned. "At the state level, there's been twice the number of fires, burning twice the number of acres, this year compared to last year."
He also noted the intense summer heat has dried up brush across a large area, resulting in "fuel level that is about a month in advance of where it should be."
During a news conference Monday at a Hacienda Heights hilltop where a wildfire destroyed 13 homes in 1989, LACoFD Deputy Chief Angel Montoya urged the public not to be complacent.
"We have had an average rainfall," he said. "Also, the temperatures have been somewhat average, which helps us out."
"But our danger - and all Southern Californians know this - is that the wildcard in all this are the Santa Ana winds that occur in the fall."
County Supervisor Don Knabe urged the public to be prepared for the worst.
"While we often talk about being prepared for disaster in terms of food, water and basic necessities, we must also be mindful of financial losses that could devastate a family in the event of an emergency," he said.
"We want residents to make
Several members of the county Insurance Commission said the public can take steps to ensure they can recover from the devastation of a fire.
"Read your policy and make sure you have the policy you think you have," said Insurance Commissioner Helene Lohr. "Don't assume."
She urged people to go through their homes, take pictures of everything, and send those pictures to their insurance agents. She said people shouldn't skimp on their policies, but shouldn't overinsure either.
Additional tips for protecting one's assets are available on county Insurance Commission's website at http://lacic.org.
The county Fire Department website www.fire.lacounty.gov, meanwhile, has advice on how to protect one's home from burning down in the first place.
Among other things, homeowners in wildfire-prone areas should:
• clear brush around their property;
• make sure the family knows how to shut off gas, electric and water main controls;
• have fire extinguishers, emergency supply kits with portable radios or scanners, and emergency contact numbers; and
• create a disaster plan that includes escape routes, a plan for evacuating large animals, meeting locations and modes of communication.
christina.villacorte@dailynews.com
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