LA city DWP website says there is a 36" line to the area from the nearby Encino? or Stone canyon? reservoir (memory fails)
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All of Malibu and much of Los Angeles are operating with water mains which were installed 100+ years ago. They are fragile and under sized compared to modern standards. Some of Topanga Cyn has 2 inch galvanized pipes that serve as many as 20 addresses. All of these homes have water storage tanks for their domestic water and fire protection.
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Back in the day…
From a California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Fire and Rescue History and Organization document:
Cal OES S.H.A.R.P.S. UNIT (Special Hose and Relay Pump System)
The Cal OES S.H.A.R.P.S. was a specially-designed unit with unique features and operating characteristics. The unit was specifically designed and equipped to supplement and eventually replace the Cal OES 6" aluminum pipe program. The SHARPS is equipped with sufficient adapters and fittings to be totally compatible with existing Cal OES pipe and standard fire department screw threads. The S.H.A.R.P.S. unit carries large diameter, 5" quick-coupling, lightweight fire hose. At present, one mile of the 5" hose is carried. The tractor houses a 1,000 GPM pump, with two portable 1,500 GPM pumps carried on the trailer. The total pumping capacity is 4,000 GPM."
OES 200 was assigned to the Sacramento Fire Department and it was in service until about 1995 or so. The only time I remember it being used was when there was a major water main break downtown and we had to pump out the basement of the state library next to the capitol.
We were told in the fire academy that is unit could be used when the “big one” hit SF and they lost their water system.
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That looks like the back side of Station 7 if I’m not mistaken?
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Given both your handle, and given this photo taken in the same era from the Department’s official Facebook that shows the tv antenna in the same place:
I’m willing to say that you are 10000000% right.
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You are correct…Sta 7
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IMO she’s next, by the voter’s!
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“We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” Bass said…
Tough words from someone who decided to take a trip overseas during the expected windstorm.
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I wouldn’t bet on it. Remember some of the dumbest voters in the country live along the coast and that’s where LA is located. I service this area and, in my discussions, I am not sure the light bulb has come on. You can’t fix stupidity.
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Never underestimate the stupidity of a California voter
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The reason why Gavin won’t be governor again is because he is prohibited by law/term limits. The bay area and LA basically controls the state.
Someone in the City of LA had to hang and the chosen person was the Chief. Bass will survive, even if she is voted out she’ll continue her political career, probably in a quieter and more lucrative position.
The goal of the politicians will be to sweep all of this under the rug with minimal fallout. Do the voters have the political will? Do they have the fortitude to fight a lengthy battle for change and accountability. Do they have the will to fight the environmental groups, air management ,and coastal commission for sound land management? I have little hope in those areas.
The reality is the area will be rebuilt into something more advantageous to the rich and political elites. The middle and lower class will fade into the background and disappear. The goal has been to cluster those classes into the city in high density living and make cars inconvenient.
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Would LFD have the fire apparatus avail to staff with even half the number of folks who went home?
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Would it have mattered with improper brush mitigation, poor clearance, bad building construction, 60+ mph winds with rapid home to home ignitions? Conflagration is an understatement.
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Every 2nd piece of the Light/Task Force can be fully staffed as a engine company
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Folks lets get to crux of this. Im sure chief crowley is a fine person. She played a hand she should have never done in the media. If i was the mayor i would have been pissed off as well. 12:42 mark. Im confident she would still be chief had she not responded this way. Saying there would have been a different outcome rather than using this time to talk about living and adapting to wildfire was foolish. The mayors public response to why she was removed was not adequate upstaffing for the event (i dont know what they did but an entire platoon minus any folks on OT were going off shift) and refusing to be part of an AAR.
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What I don’t understand is her refusal to undergo a "After-Action-Report on her fire. This is something done after every major event across the nation. It’s not reinventing the wheel. And with a team in place during most of the incident it would have been so easy to accomplish, with the team producing most of the information required.
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Might have something to do with the Larchmount fire from 1_1_25
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holding over an entire 1,000 person Platoon to staff what? 250 additional engines?
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Could’ve made 50 20-person Type 2 crews?
Think about this a different way. A structure fire starts and pushed through the roof in those winds adjacent to the WUI? You get the same results.
There are “several” of us on this forum and in this thread that REMEMBER the 1993 Malibu-Topanga fire. With a FEW LESS that remember the Brentwood fire and the other fires in the 1970’s that lead to F.I.R.E.S.C.O.P.E
Yet those canyons were built in, one route In/out to The Highlands, Tuna Cyn, Etc. This fire began 20+yr ago when vegetation management was ignored.
Finally, there could’ve been a fleet of pumps, moving 1,000,000 GPM from the G.P.F.B to 20 preposition Alphas with deck guns flowing and sure it may have made SOME difference. But if you study history, fire history for us on this forum. We knew it was just a matter of WHEN not IF.
Take a drive up Hwy 18, take 138 North into Crestline to Lake Gregory Rd to Hwy 189 to Arrowhead.
THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.
The only reason this is getting the attention it’s getting is due to the the 3 rules of real estate
LOCATION
LOCATION
LOCATION
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Yup I agree with everything you are saying but does anyone know what they upstaffed for surge on that day? I am not suggesting it puts the fire out but grandma is still gonna have chest pain etc so as you move a ton of resources to this incident there is not a lot left for day to day business so I am wondering if from the AAR there was some discussion on what they staffed extra for the wind. I am not saying you hold everyone but staffing 25 reserve engines seems well within in their wheel house. Again I dont know but it came into question obviously as that was a published reasoning for her firing. Now we all know that in a dept like this the fire chief is not making those calls and nor should they. You have layers below you making those calls. Now of course the fire chief should be getting a briefing on the plan and if they suggested 25 engines and she declined well thats a flag. I am just speculating ideas.
As far as the idea of a rekindle of the Larchmount the sentinel images look sort of damning but I am not going to speculate. I made a message to our agency now that we have a thermal drone on 24/7 that its a great mop up tool and a great tool to use the following days to check on a fire especially if you have a freshy that is now gonna get a major wind test. Sees things that you cannot.
We have countless areas just like this all along California. Ticking time bomb. Take a google street view drive through the 1991 Tunnel Fire in Oakland. Not good. This is like 95% a private property issue yet the focus comes on suppression strategies mostly in the media. Ralph Bloemers had a crew there and they captured a ton of great footage. I expect he will make a phenomenal follow up to Elemental.
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