All Fire, No Works For Agoura Hills

Wildfire season starts in Southern California on the first of June and continues throughout the fall. With an arid climate and a lot of underbrush, Agoura Hills is no exception this July 4. 

"It takes just one bottle rocket at this time of year... to burn just one acre," said Battalion Chief Terry DeJournett of the Los Angeles Fire Department. "Potential wind makes fires spread thousands and thousands of acres."

In August of 2008, an Agoura Hills brushfire burned up 75 acres of a state park and blazed 50 feet from homes. The strong winds and dry weather combined with the uneven terrain made a perfect storm against firefighters.

That same year, seven people died and an estimated 7,000 were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related accidents in the United States. Fifty-eight percent of injuries happened to those under 21 years of age.

"There's always a fire hazard," said DeJournett. "Kids do funny things, throwing sparklers in the air. They land on roofs and catch fire... It doesn't have to be an illegal firework to set your house on fire."

Fireworks are illegal in LA County unincorporated areas like Agoura Hills, apart from professional use, in accordance with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This includes related explosives, such as poppers, fire crackers, sparklers and bottle rockets. Federal law restricts homemade fireworks, as they frequently lead to unpredictable, dangerous explosions.

But fireworks on the Fourth of July are not the only hazards for Agoura Hills residents. 

"Outdoor activities, such as barbecuing, can easily start fires," said Greg Epstein, president of Enhanced Landscape Management, Inc.

Epstein's Thousand Oaks company partakes in "weed abatement" concurrent with wildfire season. Enhanced Landscape Management, Inc. selectively removes plants, raises trees and shrubs and rakes up the ground, among other methods, to make a house more secure from fires. 

To avoid wildfire this year, Maria Grycan, LAFD Community Service Representative of Division VII, recommends professional fireworks shows.

"Only State Fire Marshal approved fireworks are used at firework shows, which are kept a safe distance both from spectators and dry grass or other flammable materials," Grycan said.

Agoura Hills does not host a fireworks show on Independence Day. A belated celebration will coincide with the city's concert series at Chumash Park on July 11. Until then, Agoura Hills remains a fire-free zone.

For more information about Fourth of July safety tips, visit www.fire.lacounty.gov or www.safejuly4th.org. The public can find out where approved fireworks shows are taking place by calling 888-654-FIRE, and a full list of LA County fireworks shows can be viewed at http://www.safejuly4th.org/fw/fwshows.htm.