• The Publisher’s Notebook •

Prioritizing Malibu Wildfire Hazards

BY ANNE SOBLE

When the issue of wildfire concerns and camping on Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy parkland is finally settled politically—at least until someone files a lawsuit—perhaps public attention can get back to some of the wildfire threats that are of greater importance than a dozen campers, particularly those wearing leg braces or dependent on wheelchairs to move about. Obviously, wildfire is an emotionally laden issue. That the community has just dodged the bullet on another major conflagration means that nerves are frayed and reasoning is strained. Could a negligent camper, disabled or not, start a fire? Yes, but so could any local resident, commuter, outdoor laborer, or even an idling leaf blower or chain saw. The camper is the least likely threat. A greater concern should be the current condition of wood utility poles and overhead transmission lines. Climate change is expected to mean more frequent strong winds of longer duration unless public policy changes are implemented to reverse the trend toward hotter, dryer weather and the increased wildfire risk that accompanies it. The corporate energy behemoths want to pass off equipment failings, whether poles or lines, as the result of supernatural phenomena. But utility companies should not be allowed to contend that poles can’t withstand 80 mph winds if 80 mph winds become the norm. They have to dip into their swollen profits and do the capital construction to assure public safety.

A comparable issue is the inability to prevent smoking anywhere there is brush, including along Pacific Coast Highway, as last January’s wildfire would attest. Several replicable public safety studies show that someone at the wheel of a car who is holding a lit cigarette is as distracted as a cellphone user. They are not only more prone to accidents but can ignite an inferno with a carelessly tossed match or cigarette butt. In addition, not all vehicles adhere to standard factory exhaust systems. After-market modifications and catalytic converter alterations not only increase noise levels, but when these vehicles are driven off road, or are involved in accidents, their sparks can cause fires. Local law enforcement agencies may be overworked, but these ostensibly minor equipment infractions need to be curbed.

Would that several hundred people turned out to demand that the city council focus on local emergency communications and preparedness. The energy that is being channeled into public protest about a small number of campsites could motivate the municipal government to better prepare Malibu for the next wildfire that will occur.