So, How Did We Do Today?

Here's a recap of the actions taken today by the Meadows FireSafe Council regarding the brush fire and some observations.

At around 1:00 p.m., we contacted the L.A. County Fire Department for updates on the fire and agreed to one-hour updates. We were told that the fire was above Lake Avenue with winds coming from the south moving the fire up and to the east of us.

We began calling neighbors to make them aware of the brush fire. There was no action to take at the time, but wanted everyone to be aware of the status. My estimate is that approximately 30 neighbors were contacted at the most.

By 4:30, the fire was 50% contained, had scorched 10-12 acres and was not a threat to The Meadows.

Here's some observations:

1. We do not have a functioning calling tree in which to expedite calling neighbors. We only had those phone numbers that each of us had in our contact lists. Neighbors were asked to call whatever phone numbers they had for other neighbors.

2. Many phone numbers were home phones and not cell numbers. Messages were left, but immediate contact could not be made.

3. We no longer have an updated list of neighbors who may need assistance. Should an evacuation be needed, we need to be aware of who needs additional assistance.

In summary, this was a valuable exercise for us in The Meadows. But much more preparation needs to be organized should we ever be threatened by a fire.