Park fire burns nearly 4 acres

Deepa Bharath

A late afternoon brush fire that came close to homes on Balboa

Boulevard charred nearly four acres of the regional park Wednesday.

Fires are not uncommon in the county-owned park on West 19th Street

and Balboa Boulevard, but this was probably the closest it ever got to

the townhome complex on Balboa, said Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Kirk Dominic.

He said 20 firefighters from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa responded to

the call that came in about 5 p.m.

“We had the fire under control in about 40 minutes,” Dominic said.

Firefighters entered the park using trails, and a police helicopter

dumped water from above on pockets of burning brush.

Flames were not limited to a single area in the park but danced around

a number of spots for several hours in the southeast portion of the park,

he said. Nobody was hurt in the blaze that sent thick clouds of brown

smoke billowing skyward and black ashes flying in the air.

The fire, fueled by gusts of wind, put on a spectacular show for

neighbors and passersby, some of whom shot photographs.

Residents of Newport Terrace said they were concerned about the

proximity of the fire to their homes.

“It’s a cause of concern for all of us,” said Valerie Griffin, a

10-year resident.

Several residents said Wednesday’s fire was neither the first nor the

biggest fire they’ve seen in the park. Many said they’ve seen several

homeless people take shelter in the park.

A number of homeless residents of the park were removed from the park

by police about three years ago, but residents said they still see

transients walking in and around Talbert Regional Park.

“We hear them at night, and we see them go into the park all the

time,” Heaven Moffert said. “We love the park. We walk our dogs and take

walks, and it’s peaceful. But you never know when something like this is

going to break out.”

Among the bigger brush fires in the park were a one-acre fire in

November 1999 and a blaze that consumed close to five acres in July 2000.

Firefighters respond to at least a couple of small fires at the park

every year, Dominic said. But he declined to speculate on whether the

fires were related to the homeless people.

Dominic said the city would borrow a bulldozer from the Orange County

Fire Authority for the “mop-up” or cleaning operation, which he said

would go late into the night. The park, Dominic said, would be closed for

the rest of the night to allow firefighters time to clean up and ensure

all areas are safe.

The cause for Wednesday’s fire is not known, he said.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .