EDITORIAL: Take fire danger to heart

It always bears repeating in Laguna Beach that one must never take for granted that one is safe from wildfire.

But apparently many people do take it for granted that a conflagration of the nature of the horrific 1993 fires that destroyed some 300 homes won’t ever happen again. Can lightning — or wildfire — strike twice in the same place?

Of course it can.

Last fall, when neighboring areas were decimated by a fast-moving brush fire that devoured everything in its path in the beautiful Modjeska and Santiago Canyon communities, Lagunans were on the alert, watching and waiting to see if the fire would sweep west toward the ocean. It didn’t, but that doesn’t mean it won’t at some point in the future.

The wilderness beauty that surrounds Laguna Beach virtually guarantees that wildfire will pay another visit someday.

Those who live adjacent to the wild lands owe it to themselves and the entire city to do everything possible to avert another disaster.

Whether caused by global warming or the onward march of civilization into formerly pristine lands, wildfires appear to be on the increase in Southern California and, indeed, in the entire western U.S.

We urge everyone in Laguna Beach to take advantage of the excellent advice that is to be had for the asking from the city’s fire department.

Fire officials reported to the City Council on March 18 that only a handful of residents had responded to letters offering personal assessments of fire risk and how to avoid it.

Disappointingly, of nearly 2,000 letters sent last year to residents of the wildland interface — where wilderness abuts homes — only 35 responded.

Fire Prevention Officer Kelly Graham, a specialist in the field, has been on the job six months and says she wants to talk with every resident about how to improve fire safety. That’s an offer that really shouldn’t be refused.

To contact Graham for an assessment, call (949) 497-0700.

The life and property you save may not just be your own.