Firefighters keep close watch on Newport

Deepa Bharath

Local firefighters are watching wildfires erupting in parts of

Southern California and keeping an eye on areas here that could pose

a risk.

With temperatures climbing consistently, there is always the risk

of a brush fire, especially in Newport Coast, which has large areas

of growth with high-end homes in gated communities not too far away.

Firefighters are constantly attending training programs and

sessions to equip themselves better to fight these fires, said

Newport Beach Fire Capt. Mike Ybarra, who works out of the fire

station in Newport Coast.

“All our fire stations have the brush equipment that’s required,

such as hand tools, chain saws and foam in the tanks,” he said.

A new piece of equipment they have is a “hose pack,” which helps

them do a routine called the “bump-and-run,” where they attack a fire

and move on to the next spot quickly. The hose, several hundred feet

long, folds up into a restraint within a minute, Ybarra said.

“We can use the same hose pack even in other areas where we’re

dealing with multiple buildings on fire,” he said. “In that case, we

can move quickly from one structure to another.”

The weather also plays a major role in how these fires act and

move, Ybarra said.

“You need to be able to read the weather changes,” he said. “And

that’s usually done by the person who leads the strike team.”

The fire department has also worked with the community in Newport

Coast and held meetings with homeowners associations about how they

can protect their homes from the fury of these fires, Ybarra said.

“The best thing is to be able to prevent them,” he said.

“Homeowners should constantly prevent overgrowth of vegetation around

their home.”

The Laguna Beach fires of 1993 put the fear of wildfires in the

minds of local residents, said Jim McGee, president of the Newport

Coast Community Assn.

“Newport Coast was designed bearing in mind the lessons learned

from the Laguna fires,” he said.

The community has been working with the fire department to build

up “fuel-modification zones” and plant vegetation to protect areas

close to homes, McGee said.

“We’re very concerned about doing what it takes to minimize the

threat,” he said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.