Native plants evolved to take advantage of long periods of drought followed by ridiculously heavy rainfall. They tend to have big taproots, to store water, often bearing thick heavy, spiky leaves and toxic berries to discourage animals from eating them. They do tend to help hold hillsides together in the torrential rain.
The dry grass however is non-native, invasive and needs to be cleared immediately. The 4th of July is just around the corner and the Red Car Property owner's rep has been promising to clear the brush for well over a month now. Why does the LAFD never seem to cite them until after the 4th of July? There were an awful lot of fireworks and M-80s being set off in Elysian Valley tonight.
For more info on LAFD hillside brush clearance rules or to report a hazard: http://lafd.org/fire_prevention/brush/introduction
