New FireSafe Council Activities

Members of the Meadows Fire Safe Council are beginning to walk door-to-door in the Meadows to let you know about upcoming plans and obtain your input.

The Meadows does not have a grant this year for fuel reduction so residents are on their own to meet County requirements for fire inspection.  We do plan to ask for a grant for 2013 and we’d like to know residents' priorities for making the Meadows more fire safe.

In the meantime, the Council is planning two projects:

·        On Sunday, June 24 from 12:30 to 4 PM, we are having a community volunteer day where we are all going to work in the surrounding woods removing fire prone invasive plants that do not belong there. This is relatively easy work  and the whole family can participate.

·        Our next project is a neighborhood fire assessment, done by professional firefighters, that looks at potential fire hazards and suggests ways to correct them. This is voluntary and is just intended to give you information you can use to help protect your property. There is no cost or obligation and no one will require you to do anything. 

Call 626-578-0602 or email wmr83g@gmail.com and leave a message if you are interested in any of this or if you have any questions. We will call or email you back.

(Everyone is welcome to post comments to this blog, but please use the contact information above for any questions or requests of the Meadows FireSafe Council.)

Meet The Inspector

Great Info on House Insurance

I heard from a neighbor over the weekend that she was able to go back to California FairPlan for her home insurance at a reduced rate.  CA FairPlan told her that they were aware of all the work that had been done by The Meadows FireSafe Council and had reduced their rates for our neighborhood.

She saved a significant amount of money.

Annual Brush Clearance Notice

I received my annual brush clearance notice in the mail yesterday.

Brush clearance inspections are scheduled to begin May 1.

Watch for your notice which provides all the requirements.

MFSC Tree/Limb Removal

The Meadows FireSafe Council has a very small amount of money left in this year's grant.  Members of the Council are going to identify any broken limbs or uprooted trees from the windstorm that could create a fire hazard for the neighborhood.

The MFSC will approach that neighbor and discuss what can be done.

If you know of something we should look at, please provide the address to me via email or comment on the blog.

Again, we have a very small amount of money, maybe only two days worth, so please understand that we won't be able to address every one's concerns.

Want to Join the Meadows FireSafe Council?

The Meadows FireSafe Council (MFSC) is looking for new members. As we wrap up the current grant, we're looking for new neighbors to join to carry on the efforts of the MFSC.

A meeting will be held Monday, December 5, 7:00 p.m. at 4416 El Prieto Rd.

Any interested neighbors are welcome to attend.  The current members will give an overview of the council's efforts and talk about plans for the coming year.

Please think about joining to continue this important work.

MFSC Working on Oaks

The Meadows FireSafe Council (MFSC) begins its final efforts of the 2010 grant with the trimming of Oak trees that have received permits from L.A. County Fire.  Work will begin on those trees they have permits for and other assessments not completed last year will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Meadows FireSafe Council Recruiting

The Meadows FireSafe Council (MFSC) is looking to recruit new members to carry-on the great work they have been doing over several years.

While we are wrapping up the work from the 2010 grant, some members will be stepping down. Our heartfelt thanks to them and all the volunteer hours they have put in.

We don't want to see the MFSC go away as it has been instrumental in providing fuel reduction and education to our neighborhood.  Their efforts and relations with all parties were very beneficial to us during the Station Fire evacuation and recovery.

We need some dedicated new members that want to continue the effort.

If you are interested, please contact me either by providing your contact info in a comment to this post, email me at gstanton@sbcglobal.net or call 626-644-4760.

We'll hold a meeting and talk in-depth about the effort and invite new members.

Thanks,
Greg

MFSC Fuel Reduction Progress

Crews performing fuel reduction on our vacant lands in The Meadows have been on-site for the past two weeks.  The effort should continue for about one more week.

The areas being addressed are the same as in years past - vacant lands behind the homes on Risinghill, upper Canyon Crest and to the east of upper Risinghill.

MFSC: Fuel Reduction to Begin Next Week

Fuel reduction (brush clearance) will begin in The Meadows next Thursday, June 16.



The Meadows FireSafe Council will be using the 2010 grant money to, again, reduce the fuel on the vacant lands to the east of upper Risinghill Road, the areas behind the houses to the west of Risinghill, and the area as it continues above upper Canyon Crest.

Homeowners are still required to clear the first 100 feet from the houses.

It's expected that the effort will take about three to four weeks to complete.

After this effort, the next and final step in the 2010 grant is to address Oak trees in the neighborhood.

Any trimming or removal of branches on Oak trees requires a permit that the MFSC coordinates with L.A. County Fire at no charge to the homeowner. As a reminder, not having a permit can lead to substantial fines to the homeowner.

Assessments of the Oaks will begin in late Summer and trimming work will occur in early Fall.
In many cases, trimming of Oaks only occurs when branches are too close to a structure and considered to be fuel for a fire or if the tree is diseased or dieing.

Watch for more information on the Oak tree effort as we get closer to the dates above.

Reminder: Drought Tolerant Plants Presentation Tuesday Night

The Meadows Fire Safe Council is hosting an informational workshop on fire resistant and drought tolerant plantings.


This free event will be held at Loma Alta Park on May 24 at 7pm.

There will be speakers and informational materials available. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will be provided.

MFSC Alerts Neighbors to the JPL Fire

A reminder that The Meadows has an alert system in place.

When a neighbor called to tell us about the fire at the water towers above JPL, the Meadows FireSafe Council sent an alert to all neighbors within minutes of learning about the fire.

The alert system can send texts to cell phones, call cell phones, work and home phone numbers.

The MFSC then was put in direct contact with L.A. County Fire for updates.

The fire was quickly "knocked down" just before 2:00 p.m. and a second alert was sent to all neighbors on the alert system.

If you're a Meadows resident and did not get the alerts, then we either have the wrong contact information for you or you're not signed up.

If you'd like to be included, please provide your name, phone numbers you wish included and your address to greg.stanton@dilbeck.com

Update: Fire Over JPL "Knocked Down"

Just before 2:00 p.m., the 2 acre fire at the watertanks above JPL was extinguished per L.A. County Fire Department.

According to Meadows residents who live directly across the canyon, helicopters performed water drops along with crews on the land.



Picture taken from the backyard of a home on Canyon Dell in The Meadows.



Fire Above JPL

What We Know Right Now:

There is a fire currently burning up-slope from JPL, towards the water tanks across the Arroyo from Florecita Crescent. Fire crews are present on the ground and in the air. Please be aware and cautious.

L.A. County Fire Inspections and MFSC Update

Two items today regarding fuel reduction (brush clearance):

L.A. County Fire is now in charge of inspections in all of The Meadows.  They have been inspecting over the past few weeks and some neighbors have been given notice that fuel reduction (brush clearance, tree trimming, etc.) needs to be completed by June 1.  After June 1, they will revisit the properties.  If the required work is not done, neighbors could then be subject to a fine.

The 2010-2011 Meadows FireSafe Council grant work addressed many of the tree trimming issues for those neighbors who participated.  Hopefully, not many neighbors will be sighted.  Please note that funds allocated to tree trimming and removal have been used in there entirety.

MFSC funds for fuel reduction to clear the vacant lands are on there way.  Hopefully, we'll have that work started before June 1.  The areas to be addressed are the same as in years past: vacant land above and below Risinghill and above upper Canyon Crest.

The last effort of the MFSC will be the trimming of certain Oak trees if permitted by L.A. County Fire and as the remaining grant monies allow.  Those assessments will resume over the Summer with the trimming to be done in the Fall.  That will conclude the efforts of the 2010-2011 grant.

MFSC Presentation

The Meadows Fire Safe Council is hosting an informational workshop on fire resistant and drought tolerant plantings. 

This free event will be held at Loma Alta Park on May 24 at 7pm. 

There will be speakers and informational materials available.  Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will be provided.  

For more information, contact Maya Golden-Krasner at mdgoldenkrasner@gmail.com

Tree Trimming Not the MFSC Grant

The tree trimming happening in The Meadows today by the green TLC trucks was not part of the Meadows FireSafe Council grant effort. We have confirmed that it was an effort of L.A. County Public Works.

The MFSC grant effort began today on upper Risinghill and will begin tomorrow on El Prieto.

MFSC Work to Resume

Starting the week of Jan 10, tree vendors will resume work identified in the 2010 Meadows FireSafe Council assessments.

Property owners who participated in the assessments and authorized the work will be contacted one to two days prior to the vendor arriving at the site.

Meadows resident, Bill Ramseyer, will lead the effort.

In some cases, where there are numerous trees to be trimmed or removed, Bill will talk with the property owner about the priority of the work.

If anyone has a concern about work scheduled at a neighbor's property, the two neighbors should have the conversation.  It is not the MFSC's role to make individual decisions for property owners.

Crews can be expected in The Meadows for several weeks.  They will resume the work starting on El Prieto and Risinghill Roads.

MFSC Update - On Hold

This year's grant work for trimming and removal of trees is going to be put on hold.

We're running into timing issues for the trimming of non-native trees and the permits for the Oak trees.

So as not to double or triple our efforts and the impact on all homeowners, it makes more sense to get clarity from L.A. County Fire and CA FireSafe Council before we proceed.

Thanks for your patience as we straighten this out.

MFSC Update

The assessments of properties by The Meadows FireSafe Council and L.A. County Fire for the 2010 grant are almost complete.  We have a few more properties to assess.

We've assessed over 80 properties this year for fuel reduction, tree removal and trimming.

In some cases, we have the owner's permission to proceed.  Others who were not home at the time will receive the findings of the assessment in the mail.  Homeowners can decide whether to agree or not agree to the recommendations and will return the assessment to the MFSC.

It's expected that work will begin in the next two weeks and take about five weeks to complete.

The last effort for this grant will be a repeat of fuel reduction on the vacant land in the Spring.

We thank everyone for their enthusiastic participation in this year's efforts.