ANGELES FOREST UNSCATHED YEAR-ROUND CAMPFIRE RESTRICTIONS, PRESCRIBED BURNING OF BRUSH IN EFFECT.Byline: Marianne Love Staff Writer The Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los dodged a bullet during recent Southland south·land or South·land n. A region in the south of a country or an area. south  land·er n.Noun 1. fires that scorched scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. more than 750,000 acres. But it's not out of danger. ``The fire that could potentially spread into the foothill communities is more likely to be driven down by winds like Santa Ana winds Santa Ana Winds may refer to: 1. Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- . That's exactly the situation that unfolded with the Padua fire,'' forest spokesman Stanton Florea said. And while landscapes blackened black·en v. black·ened, black·en·ing, black·ens v.tr. 1. To make black. 2. To sully or defame: a scandal that blackened the mayor's name. 3. in the 2002 Curve and Williams fires in the hills from Azusa to Claremont have served as a fire break, that could change in the next five years as vegetation begins to sprout. ``What we saw in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, in the last two weeks ... shows how quickly it can happen under the right burning conditions with Santa Ana winds and a red flag alert,'' said Larry W. Brown, fire prevention officer for the San Gabriel River San Gabriel River is the name of watercourses in two states:
``It's a time when everyone needs to be careful, and as alert as possible to conditions, and pay attention to what they are doing that might be a fire hazard fire hazard fire n that's a fire hazard → das ist feuergefährlich fire hazard n that's a fire hazard → comporta rischi in caso d'incendio ,'' he said. ``People should also watch for suspicious activity and report it.'' Since the Curve and Williams fires, which burned about 60,000 acres, forest officials have conducted inspections of resort areas and residences to ensure adequate fire clearances. ``Right now the entire forest is in year-round fire restrictions. This is a major departure from what it was. You used to be able to build fires anywhere,'' Brown said. The 690,000-acre Angeles National Forest is one of 18 national forests in the state. In comparison with the others, it is thought of as having a large amount of recreation area and extremely high fire risks, said Matt Mathes, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service in California. ``There's an overwhelming human presence. We want visitors - but have a real struggle teaching them how to minimize their impact,'' he said. Mathes said forest officials have sufficient funding for brush removal, but some people object to prescribed burnings that help thin the forest because of the smoke pollution it creates. ``We ignite prescribed burnings under safe conditions, and while it does put smoke in the area it's not as near to what we saw last week,'' he said. ``People don't like that. We get a lot of complaints,'' Mathes said. ``I hope after last week people can understand the need for prescribed burning.''. Prescribed burnings create fuel breaks and are usually performed during winter months when the atmosphere is wetter and temperatures are lower. Last year's short winter gave forest officials a smaller window of opportunity for such burnings than in previous years, experts said. Forests are also thinned by the cutting and removal of brush or by crushing the brush with large machines, an expensive process that affects the environment of wildlife and vegetation. Mathes said the brush in the Angeles Forest is too thick for prescribed burning unless some of the fuel is removed first. Marianne Love, (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2108 marianne.love(at)sgvn.com |
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