Wind. Heat. Fuel.
Southern California possesses all three of the fundamental elements to spark a blazing uncontrollable fire. Whether you’re at a general store stocking up on moisturizers or upgrading your flashlights for your fire kit, the threat of wildfire is palpable. The hills we normally consider bright and lively will eventually become overshadowed by a looming threat. The threat of grey and dark clouds of ash emerging, casting a strange gloom over neighborhoods that were once filled with warm sunshine. Sirens echoe in the distance; and powerful winds scatter embers across the delicate land like fireflies in a dark night – embers that are so small, yet cause so much destruction to life, property and the environment. In the beautiful surroundings of the Conejo Valley, the threat of wildfires is always just a spark away.
These feelings are not new for Oak Park residents. In recent years, devastating wildfires have blazed across the hills of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. The most haunting for many, are the 2017 Thomas Fire and the infamous 2018 Woolsey Fire. These wildfires caused hundreds of thousands of evacuations and destroyed countless homes.
Seven years ago, the Thomas Fire scorched through the Santa Ynez mountains. The fire was difficult to control and quickly spread, expanding into the Los Padres National Forest, eventually threatening population centers such as Carpinteria and Montecito in Santa Barbara. The unusually strong and tenacious Santa Ana winds played a large role in the outspread of the Thomas Fire, with wind speeds picking up to over 65 miles per hour.
Closer to Oak Park, the 2018 Woolsey Fire burned through the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains, raging from Simi Valley down to the Malibu coastline. The Woolsey Fire went on to burn 96,949 acres of land, destroy 1,643 structures, cause three fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 295,000 people in the area. The total damage to property is estimated to be approximately $6 billion. The fire started at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, burning 80% of the site – it was caused by faulty maintenance of SoCal Edison’s transmission lines running through an overgrown property. SoCal Edison’s electrical equipment malfunctions are known for creating conflagrations (an extensive fire) in our fuel-covered hills. Just like the Thomas Fire, the Santa Ana winds gusted southernly towards the Conejo Valley, racing through Oak Park and into the hills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The fires spread from both the Thomas Fire and the Woolsey Fire were due to an overabundance of all three elements of the ‘Fire Triangle’: heat, fuel and oxygen.
Fires have been burning in natural cycles in Western United States ecosystems for around 470 million years. For thousands of years, Native Americans used controlled burns to their advantage – for agriculture and farming.
Only one of the three parts of the fire cycle we can control: Fuel. During Southern California summers, the Santa Ana winds are almost inevitable. These winds are at their strongest in October, November and December each year. The hills of the Conejo Valley are covered with vegetation, including dry grasses, shrubs and chaparral, which provide enough fuel for wildfires. During dry seasons, the combination of the build up of dead plant material and low humidity create a highly flammable environment, making these hills particularly open to fire outbreaks.
Fireman Christopher Morrow from Ventura County’s Station 36, located on Deerhill Rd, emphasized firefighter’s clear priorities in any kind of fire or emergency.
“The first thing we want to protect is life,” Morrow said. “If there’s any evacuations we need to do, or if any people are in harm’s way, it is our top priority to get them out and safe.”
Once lives are secured, firemen’s attention shifts to saving property.
“We will send other resources and other engines from Ventura County … to do structure protection so we can put water on it [the fire], get behind them and put the fire out before a structure is burned,” Morrow said.
After life and property, firefighters then prioritize protecting the environment.
Morrow discusses how firefighters’ jobs go beyond Oak Park and Ventura County, especially during large fires like the Woolsey and Thomas Fires.
“We have contract agreements with Los Angeles County … we help each other out,” Morrow said. “I was on the crew for the Thomas and Woolsey fire … We all have that agreement that when we need help, they’ll come for us, and if they need help, we’ll send people.”
As the dry season sets in over Oak Park, the renewed fear and anxiety of residents kicks in. Southern Californians think of fire season as an inevitable event. We must not show fear but instead attack the problem. Basic preparation goes a long way. Whether it is making sure your fire kit is up to date, attending informational meetings with the OPFSC (Oak Park Fire Safe Council) or clearing fuel around your neighborhood. Small things go a long way in fire preparedness.
And remember, it is only a spark away.
