Forest Service Blowing Hot Air
* Your Sept. 15 article, “Brush, Heat, Winds Are a Triple Threat,” may not seem compelling today with rain in the air, but those of us concerned about fire are heads up.
Incredible, however, is the notable difference in attitude between the Orange County Fire Authority and the U.S. Forest Service, the latter responsible for the Cleveland National Forest, which abuts county lands.
Talk about mixed messages! The county says that the brush on their side of the forest is extremely flammable and a cause for great concern.
While the county has closed thousands of acres, the Forest Service leaves the forest open 24 hours a day with little daytime supervision, and zero in the night hours. When winds blow at hurricane force in the fall, the gates are open. Since July, the service has rated the fire danger as extreme. Even as the fire burned into the forest, the gates were open.
It would seem that a few reasonable precautions, including halting vehicular access to the forest in fire season, would go a long way in terms of fire prevention. In fact, at the cost of fighting fires, it would seem far more prudent to focus on prevention.
SHERRY LEE MEDDICK
Silverado
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