DANGER OF WILDFIRE NEAR PEAK; ALERTS EXPECTED THROUGH DECEMBER.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

The potential is out there, and firefighters aren't taking any chances this fire season as wind conditions, low relative humidity and dry brush create a recipe ripe for wildfires.

In anticipation of these conditions, which could cause fires to run faster and hotter, fire officials in the Santa Clarita Valley are calling in additional resources and carefully monitoring the weather, officials said.

``We try to get long range weather forecasts and do some predicting,'' said Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Mike Sandeman.

Firefighters can probably expect red flag warnings through December because the scant rainfall over the past year has created dry fuel that could create a hotbed for potential fires, Sandeman said.

``This is as ripe as it gets (for fire),'' he said. ``The only way it can be more severe is if there is more wind. We are in a very high fire danger right now.''

Indeed, the Santa Clarita Valley has been hit this week with hot temperatures and three days of drying Santa Ana winds. More is in store, according to the National Weather Service, which predicts 30 mph winds today and continuing temperatures in the low 90s.

Additional fire personnel and engines will be ready to combat fires in the region as well as the SuperScoopers and a helitanker on standby at the Van Nuys Airport.

The two fast, fixed-winged SuperScooopers each have a 1,600-gallon storage capacity and are especially effective in combating fires on ridgetops because they can hit their targets well, officials said.

The helitanker, with its 2,000-gallon storage capacity and automatic pump that refills from ponds, lakes or reservoirs as shallow as 18 inches, can be an effective mechanism to fight fires in mountainous areas when winds are blowing because it can better penetrate the valleys, officials said.

As wind conditions worsen, fires can shoot up farther and toss embers to other locations, where new fires ignite, officials said.

National Weather Service spokesman Bill Hoffer said the fire hazard is enhanced when the Santa Ana winds come roaring through the mountains and passes because of their drying effect.

``It's an evaporation of moisture due to the warm winds,'' he said.

Taking measures to protect communities susceptible to fires may help save structures in the long run, especially during the fire season, which generally runs from October through as late as February.

When firefighters battle blazes in neighborhoods where many structures are threatened, buildings with fireproofed roofs and other safety measures have a much better chance of being saved, officials said.

Residents are advised to clear brush around their homes and replace wood shingled roofs, where burning embers may land and embed themselves under the shingles. Tile or composition roofs are safer, Sandeman said.

Sweeping pine needles off roofs and getting rid of extra firewood are wise precautions.

``The more breaks there are, the better it is to stop a fire,'' Sandeman said.