To the editor: In 1993, Laguna Beach suffered a fire that consumed almost 500 homes. While this number pales in comparison to the losses suffered in Los Angeles, there are lessons that we need to remember. (“Could better brush clearance have helped slow the spread of the Palisades fire?” Jan. 13)
Most importantly, you don’t fight the fire on the day it happens. You fight it beforehand with diligent and constant prevention efforts. This includes constant fuel modification of the native brush adjacent to our developed areas and the hardening of homes, businesses and landscaping to become more fire-resistant.
Laguna Beach adopted a set of fire-resistant construction standards, developed native brush fuel modification standards and greatly increased the amount of water stored at an elevation where only gravity is required to provide pressure to hydrants.
Our fuel modification efforts are moving too slowly. The brush that surrounds and infiltrates our developed areas is no longer in its natural state. It has become an overgrown source of limitless fuel that can burn entire neighborhoods to the ground.
Fire construction standards affect new construction. Most of our existing structures do not meet these standards, and there is no systemic effort to retrofit them.
A state that does not implement effective fuel modification efforts and effective fire-resistant construction standards for all structures is an uninsurable state. An uninsurable California will soon become an economic basket case. Then we all lose.
JJ Gasparotti, Laguna Beach
The writer is former president of the Laguna Beach County Water District and former chairperson of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board.
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To the editor: Rick Caruso’s inflammatory comments critical of L.A.’s fire response and prevention do nothing to bring solace or provide any kind of support for victims. They are the initial salvo for his next mayoral campaign.
Caruso provided private firefighters for his shopping mall in Pacific Palisades as the surrounding businesses burned. He is showing the kind of leader he is — one who thinks about his own wants and needs.
Victoria I. Paterno, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Several people are quoted as saying that poor brush clearance was among the reasons the Palisades fire and others have been so bad.
Although preventing huge firestorms is not as simple as implied, elimination of brush can lead to other major problems. Erosion and landslides that can result from “climate whiplash” also cause tremendous damage.
Without a decrease in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we can expect more firestorms and more damaging atmospheric rivers. Those who continue to publicly deny the global warming that is caused by burning fossil fuels should help pay for the recovery from this destruction.
Bill Roundy, Orange
