LAFD Declared Red Flag Parking Restrictions In Effect Tues, Dec 5, 2017, Until Further Notice

Photo: Diane Edwardson September 9, 2009.  LAFD declared a Red Flag Day starting at 8AM, Tuesday, December 5, 2017.  LAFD's website has become difficult to sign up for, or change how you receive notices.  Some of us, who've been signed up for alerts since the program began, got notice; others did not.  Once again, I got a call and email but not a text.  I used to receive all three. I recommend following @LAFDtalk on Twitter.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor June 19, 2016.  The Silver Lake Fire illustrated why Corralitas Drive is a Red Flag Day No Parking street.  There is only one access road, Rosebud Ave, to about 52 homes on Corralitas Drive, a substandard Hillside Street with hairpin turns.  If you didn't drive out before the Fire Dept arrived, you could not drive off the hill.  June 19, 2017 was not a Red Flag Day.  Neighbors a half a mile away, reported 6" embers blowing past their homes.  

The recent fires in Orange County, Napa Valley and Santa Rosa were wind driven fires.

December 1, 2011, we had a major windstorm that knocked down trees, knocked out power and started a fire on Lake View Ave.  

LAFD Declares First Red Flag Day In 3 Years

Photo: Diane Edwardson September 9, 2009.  LAFD declared a Red Flag Day starting at 8AM Tuesday, Oct 24, 2017.  LAFD's website has become difficult to sign up for or change how you receive notices.  Some of us, who've been signed up for alerts since the program began, got notice, others did not.  I got a call and email but not a text.  I used to receive all three. I recommend following @LAFDtalk on Twitter.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor June 19, 2016.  The Silver Lake Fire illustrated why Corralitas Drive is a Red Flag Day No Parking street.  There is only one access road, Rosebud Ave, to about 52 homes on Corralitas.  If you didn't drive out before the Fire Dept arrived, you could not drive off the hill.  June 19, 2017 was not a Red Flag Day.  Neighbors a half a mile away reported 6" embers blowing past their homes.  

The recent fires in Orange County, Napa Valley and Santa Rosa were wind driven fires.
  
9:15 PM: Typos were corrected.

Corralitas Drive: Silver Lake FireJune 19, 2016

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 19, 2016.  I was in the my yard with no view in this direction, but smelled fire.  When I ran up to the street, I saw a wall of dense brown and grey smoke and heard cracking and popping of fire.  I ran a couple hundred feet to the public staircase with some neighbors, and I could not see the houses on the other end of Corralitas Drive.

I knew we were in trouble.  Other neighbors were standing around watching; some were watering down their roofs and trees. I shouted "GO! Get your dogs, kids in the car and LEAVE NOW! That fire is coming this way fast and it's already moving toward the canyon - we won't be able to drive off the hill once it gets to Rosebud!"  Sirens were only just arriving in the neighborhood.  

On Corralitas, no one knew what was on fire because the wall of smoke was so dense. I could briefly see flames heading up the hill toward Lake View/Silver Ridge and it was already on the southbound side of the 2 Freeway in the view above.  Several neighbors took my lead and began knocking on doors to warn neighbors on our way back up to our homes to get our dogs and cats.  

It's no easy feat to run in heavy smoke, wearing flip flops, on one of the hottest days of the year while trying to call and text neighbors, without reading glasses, while having a massive asthma attack.  Yes, it's ok to laugh. In the meantime, half the neighborhood is calling and texting me while I'm knocking on doors, calling and texting key neighbors closest to the fire who could get the word out on Lake View and Riverside Place.  Cell phone lines were  jammed.   I grabbed my hard drive, inhaler, camera, wallet, water and put on closed-toe shoes and ran down the street with my dog on leash, continuing to knock on doors.  

Meanwhile, large 6 - 8" burning embers were flying up the hill and past either side of my home. 

In less than 10 minutes from that first photo, Rosebud was indeed closed.  The fire was literally exploding on the 2 Freeway median parkways. I arrived at the 2 Freeway as they closed Rosebud.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 19, 2016 after 7PM.  Compare this photo from the Corralitas Public Staircase, taken after the fire with the first photo.
  
Neighbors who did not hesitate, got off the hill that day. No one was injured.  We are so fortunate that the LAFD and their partner agencies were able to expend so many air resources and around 200 firefighters on the Silver Lake Fire.  The fire occurred at a time of day when the winds kick up like clockwork, every day.  Yet only a couple of homes were damaged by fire.  It could have been so much worse.

I suspect it will be along time before neighbors question why we have no parking on several area streets on LA City Fire Dept-called Red Flag Days.

We're reviewing the conditions before, during and after the June 19, 2016, Silver Lake Fire.  While it is a rehashing of old news, well put it in perspective of neighborhood issues, in addition to having it in our collective neighborhood history.

LAFD Declares Red Flag Day, 8 AM Today

Parking is even more limited than usual on Red Flag Days on certain Red Car Neighborhood streets.  If you live on a designated street, we strongly advise neighbors to sign up for the Red Flag alerts on the LAFD's website. 

Just be sure you read the emails LAFD sends carefully because their subject lines are deceptive.  It easy to see why neighbors have been misled when the subject line of an email coming in at 5pm says "RED FLAG PARKING RESTRICTIONS LIFTED."  But if you don't open the body of the email or read it carefully, you might not see that the Red Flag Parking Restrictions are still in effect until 8AM the next day.  Neighbors have been towed or ticketed thinking the alert has been called off when in fact it still has 12 hours, or more, before the alert is actually cancelled.

LAFD declares a Red Flag Day for designated Hillside streets when winds are dry, high & moisture content in plants is low. 

And it's a reminder that you should get your brush clearance done ASAP too! 

Not really related: Fire in the LA River yesterday

Corralitas Drive: Hawkwatch 2014

Photo: Esteban Gonzalez, February 5, 2014.  Gonzalez was fortunate to capture photos of "2 awesome hawks outside my balcony. The one on the post is obviously having lunch."  Lunch certainly look like the Red Tails are dining on squirrel.

Indeed, we've seen similar behavior in our resident Red Tailed Hawks at the same time, last year.  It's hard to tell from the cell phone photo, but it may well be an adult feeding one of last year's brood, who is not yet adept at catching squirrels. 

Nesting season began February 1. At a 2 Freeway Terminus meeting last year, CalTrans publicly stated, they will not work within 1000' of nesting raptors.  We'll see how that works out when they start on the sound walls on the 2 Freeway.   

Be on the lookout for Red Tails flying to & from Corralitas & the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract & their nest on Allesandro & Rosebud. They'll be calling to each other a lot soon. 

Cooper's Hawks tend to mate & nest in the area around Riverside Place & Red Car Canyon.  I almost always see Cooper's Hawks near the historic landmark How House on Silver Ridge. 

Red Shouldered Hawks nest on the northern end of the Red Car Property near Adelbert.

Kestrels were making a comeback, seen on Corralitas & the meadow area of the Red Car Property. 

Semi Tropic Hell: Ficus Tree, Why Bother?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  You may remember last week's almost total take down of the giant ficus tree at the "corner" of El Moran & Alvarado, one of the few remaining shade trees on the developer's controversial subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  Now the tree branch seems precariously balanced to eventually break & fall into the power lines leading up to the top of the exceptionally steep hill. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.   If it does spark a fire, let's hope the LAFD can find the fire hydrant under all the debris that's eroded down the hillside, a few dozen fee from the ficus tree.  It looks like the LAFD hasn't tested this hydrant in years.  Maybe they can't find it.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  But then, Orange County developers aren't exactly known for their urban forest values.  

Red Car Property At Adelbert Ave: Dead Trees A Fire Hazard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 30, 2013.  Two of the three dead Eucalyptus on Adelbert at the Red Car Property are really dry now.  Only one of the four we requested removal of, was removed on Monday.  It was the one that was cut down over a year ago.  We sent this photo to City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell's staff yesterday. (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 30, 2013.  In April, we sent a bunch of photos of the 4 dead trees to then City Councilmember (now Mayor) Eric Garcetti's Office.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 18, 2013.  Photo shot from the Red Car Property.  Again in June, at Garcetti's staff's request, we sent a follow up email with new urgency due to the increased dry conditions. 

O'Farrell took office July 1.  The incoming Silver Lake deputy, Mary Rodriguez, is transferring from Tom LaBonge's (CD4) office, next week.  Rodriguez has already helped get this on the radar and get brush clearance moving on this end of the Red Car Property.

It's hard to believe Adelbert is not a Red Flag Day No Parking Street.  It's got 2 hairpin turns, is only about 15' wide & dead ends at the crest of the hill in the first 2 photos.

Maybe we just need some "no smoking" signs on Adelbert.

We Were Lucky The Santa Anas Weren't Blowing. Time To Think About Disaster Preparedness *Updated

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, July 13, 2013.  In the first minute after the explosion Vandiveer shot this photo from his living room.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Yesterday's tanker fire would have been a major disaster if the Santa Anas were blowing.  The Red Car Neighborhood (Corralitas Drive, Riverside Place, Riverside Terrace, Lake View Ave, Silver Ridge Ave), Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, as well as all of northern Elysian Valley would have been in the middle of a firestorm.

Narrow streets, most of which are dead end streets without City standard or LAFD approved turning radii, in all three neighborhoods, would create havoc and panic, block emergency access, as people try to flee, while other drivers cut through the neighborhood because major streets and freeways would be closed.  

(*Update) Photo: Ricky Dominguez, July 13, 2013.  Gasoline from the tanker fire ran down the storm drains and exploded into the LA River in Elysian Valley, right next to homes, businesses, a bike path & recreational zone.

Today is a good day to think about what you would take with you if you only had a few minutes to evacuate. 

In the news void yesterday, with a huge column of smoke rising from just below my hill, I grabbed my camera, dog (on a leash), purse, portable computer hard drive and keys.  My phone was already in my pocket, sunglasses already on.  In retrospect, I should've also grabbed an inhaler and reading glasses (but those are replaceable).  I had a heck of a time reading texts and emails from neighbors and The Eastsider as I searched for a neighbor's yard with a good view.

My neighbor got her cats into the house ready to evacuate with cat carrier, and was out watering down her trees and patio umbrellas (as were many other neighbors). 

Make a list.  Know what's important and where you keep it.  More than 20 years ago, we had a house fire in the middle of the night.  I knew my list so well (because of emergency earthquake planning), I managed to take the first 8 things on my list and get out the door in 30 seconds.   

On my hill we know our neighbors.  Have a network of neighbors you can check in with if you aren't home.  You may not be able to get home.  I talked to several neighbors who spent several hours trapped in area traffic yesterday. 

The Red Cross has a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness on their website. 

Some neighborhood Hillside streets are in the Red Flag Day No Parking Zone, we are in CD13.  Learn more & sign up for text & phone alerts from the LA City Fire Dept: http://lafd.org/redflag/

Bookmark the following Twitter feeds on your phone:
LAFD
CalTrans District 7
CHP Southern Division 
The Eastsider

Yesterday, the first and most accurate news and photos about what was happening in our neighborhoods came from The Eastsider. 

Silver Lake & Echo Park: LAFD Cutbacks Putting Silver Lake & Echo Park At Risk

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 22, 2012.  When you have a medical emergency or fire, and you live on a narrow Hillside street, like the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract (above) or near the Red Car Property, you better hope LAFD Fire Station 56 isn't already on another emergency call.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

 

LAFD staffing reductions are putting our older hillside neighborhoods at risk.  City Council (CD13) candidate Mitch O'Farrell is speaking out about the cumulative impacts of significantly reduced staff in one area (Silver Lake & Echo Park) and the appurtenant increase in call times, because resources are being deployed outside their area, increasing the burden on our local fire stations.

 

Read O'Farrell's letter to LAFD Chief Cummings: Silver Lake-Echo Park Patch 

 

Lake View Ave: Power Lines Spark Fire

Photo: Lake View Neighbor, December 1, 2011, 5 AM.  Downed power lines sparked a fire on a neighbor's deck early today.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Several neighbors report the Fire Department put out the fire without too much damage, but the downed power lines have been sparking "manageable fires" all day.  Nervous times for the neighbors.  The power is still out in parts of the neighborhood this afternoon while the DWP works on the power lines.

This is an example of why we have Red Flag No Parking Restrictions on streets with only one means of access.  This could have been a neighborhood disaster along the lines of the Oakland Hills Fire, if it had spread to more homes. 

UPDATE: The live power line is dipping and crossing Lake View so Lake View is closed to through traffic.  The Fire Dept is on site and allowing t to "control burn."  Time Warner hopes to have the cable/internet service back on around 5PM today.

Riverside Terrace: Huge Tree Blocking Road

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 1, 2011. The windstorm snapped a pine tree at Allesandro Elementary School, completely blocking the one way street of Riverside Terrace.  While they do have another means of  access, this is the one way out of the neighborhood behind the school.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This is also a neighbrohood subject to LAFD Red Flag No Parking.

LAFD Calls A Red Flag No Parking Day For Wednesday, Nov 2, 2011

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, August 13, 2010.  Narrow hillside streets with only one means of access, Santa Ana Winds and dry brush are why we have Red Flag No Parking Days.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Fire Department is calling a Red Flag No Parking Alert for the first time in almost 3 years (the last one was in January 2009).  Starting at 8AM, November 2, 2011, many neighborhood streets will be under Red Flag Day Parking Restrictions.   

See: http://lafd.org/redflag/ for details and to sign up to get Red Flag Alerts directly from the LAFD.

Read more about why we have Red Flag parking restrictions in a post from Sept 26, 2010.

Why We Have Red Flag No Parking Days

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, August 13, 2010. Some of our neighborhood streets, like Riverside Place, are so narrow, only the mini-fire trucks from Engine Company 56 can squeeze through. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This weekend's hot, dry weather reminds us that Santa Ana wind conditions often trigger Red Flag Day No Parking Zones throughout the hills of Los Angeles. The City has not declared a Red Flag Day since January 12, 2009. Today is not a Red Flag Day in the City.

Many of our not-a-through-streets are subject to no-parking on Red Flag Days when winds are high and moisture content in plants is low.

In 1991, the Oakland Hills Fire destroyed 3,403 homes; 780 homes in the first hour. LAFD took notice of the similarities between Silver Lake and Oakland Hills. They added our neighborhood to the Very High Fire Hazard Safety Zone (VHFHSZ), raising brush clearance standards and, a few years ago, created Red Flag Day No Parking streets.

For more info and to sign up for Red Flag Day alerts from the LAFD: http://lafd.org/redflag/.

For more info on hillside brush clearance regulations: http://lafd.org/brush/.

LAFD Red Flag Days UPDATE

Photo: Futterer. 1934, Holyland Exhibition, Lake View Ave. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Many neighborhood streets are subject to No Parking on Red Flag Days – days with high winds and low moisture content in the vegetation. To see if your street is included and for more information see link in the message below from the LA City Fire Dept:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Red Flag Parking Restrictions [mailto:redflag@lafdtraining.org]
> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 9:01 AM
> Subject: New Notification System for Red Flag
>
>
> The new notification system is working and in place. You can now be
> notified via voice messaging on you phone (any and all of 4 phone numbers)
> and/or email. Please go to our new site and register your information at:
>
> http://www.lafd.org/redflag/
>
> We thank you for your continued support in keeping the City safe.
>
> Thank you,
> LAFD
>

###