How does Rec and Parks prepare for fires such as the one this month in Griffith Park?
It wasnt a surprise, and it could have been worse. Seventy-five percent of the park remains untouched by this fire. It is fortunate that we as a citynot just Rec and Parkshave trained for events like this. Its unfortunate that we had to exercise our training. Three years ago, along with the Department of Water and Power, we replaced all the water mains and fire hydrants in Griffith Park. We put heliports up there, where helicopters can land and replenish themselves with about 400 gallons of water. We have a large urban park, and if we keep it as an urban wilderness, it will be susceptible to fires. Rainfall and the moisture content of plants are at historically low levels this year, only three years after we had historically high levels. Obviously the firefighters were heroicno one was injured and no structures were damaged. But who were the other unsung public servant-heroes that deserve credit for the citys response to the fire? The Fire Department is the most visible. But the first
