Increased fire safety sought for Buck Gully

June Casagrande

Fire Chief Tim Riley said he’s proud of strides the city has made to

prevent a Buck Gully fire from getting out of control. But now, he

believes, it’s time to take the next step.

On Tuesday, Riley will give a presentation to the City Council on

what he believes is the next generation of fire safety for Buck Gully

-- a series of measures that would increase the distance between

homes and the undeveloped gully area where plants growing wild can

create the perfect fuel for a fire.

“We need to go to the council and say, ‘This is what we have right

now in Buck Gully, but we no longer believe it’s enough,’” Riley

said.

Fire protections in Buck Gully date back to shortly after the 1993

Laguna fires. At that time, officials agreed to create a buffer of

about 100 feet between wild growth in the gully and homes in Morning

Canyon, Evening Canyon and other Buck Gully communities. Since then,

the city has annexed Newport Coast, whose innovative “fuel

modification zones” inspired fire officials to consider ways to make

Buck Gully safer, as well.

Riley said he believes that the 100-foot areas could be expanded

to 170 feet with sections designed to slow and reduce the size of

flames. The areas closest to the homes would be irrigated, a little

farther away would be a strip that contains only plants that are less

prone to drying out and becoming fire fuel, then the farthest areas

would have some plants that deter fires mixed in with the wild plant

life.

Unlike Newport Coast, where homeowners associations maintain these

areas, Buck Gully doesn’t have homeowners associations doing such

work. In 1994, city leaders struck a deal with the 230-plus residents

there to use 75% federal grant money and a 25% contribution from

homeowners to pay for the initial work. Riley said that he would seek

a similar arrangement for the improvements. But the nuts-and-bolts

questions are still quite a while away.

The council could decide Tuesday not to act on Riley’s suggestion,

or they could decide to bring it back to a council meeting next year

for a public hearing.

Councilman Dick Nichols, whose district includes Buck Gully, said

he wasn’t prepared to make a statement about the Fire Department’s

plan, but he said that fire safety and liability issues in Buck Gully

are a concern.

Riley said that the issue extends beyond Buck Gully.

“If a fire was to get into Buck Gully, it would go through Corona

del Mar like a hot knife through butter,” Riley said.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.