Corralitas Red Car Property: No Trespassing Signs Appear. How About Red Tags?

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 2, 2017. No Trespassing signs appeared on the ground at the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property.  The signs neighbors wanted to see for the past 2 months are LAFD Red Tag notices for brush clearance.  The Red Car Property extends up to the telephone poles, running across the slope.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 2, 2017.  This sign will not stop anyone.  

We've highlighted brush clearance issues on the Red Car Property for the past decade.  Click here for all our brush clearance posts.

Red Car Canyon: Dead Eucalyptus Still Looming Large

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015.  You would think for liability reasons alone, the Red Car Property owner would cut down the dead Eucalyptus in Red Car Canyon.  We reported it to the owner's rep over a year ago.  The adjacent property owner reported it repeatedly to not only the owner's rep, but also CD13 & LAFD Brush Clearance Unit last year.  

Since all 5 lots of the property were Red Tagged by the LAFD earlier this month, we hope the Fire Dept will take note that this dead tree is still in the canyon.  It was not cut down after the LAFD Red Tagged the lots in 2014, even though we had a fire on the Lake View slope, just a few hundred feet away.

Photo: Diane Edwardson: May 27, 2014.  We documented the now dead Eucalyptus on the blog last year on more than one occasion. 

In 1980, a brush fire started in the canyon and burned up both sides of the canyon.  Three homes on Corralitas were destroyed; two damaged and rebuilt.  A water dropping helicopter stopped the fire before it caught a sixth house on fire on the opposite side of the hill, atop Corralitas, just as the Italian Cypress trees in front of the house were just catching fire.

The 1991 Oakland Hills Fire forced Los Angeles to re-examine the way brush clearance is handled in Hillside Areas. In the first hour of the Oakland Hills Fire, more than 790 homes were destroyed.  

By the early 2000s the Eastside Hillside Areas were added to the Very High Fire Hazard Safety Zone, but the higher standard of brush clearance has been spottily enforced in our area.  Now the vacant lots and the built lots are all under the jurisdiction of the LAFD Brush Unit. 

Report hillside brush hazards to LAFDBrush@lacity.org

We'll be looking at the dead (primarily Eucalyptus) trees around the neighborhood this week. Click here for all our dead tree posts.
 

Red Car Property: Raindrops & Red Tags And Pathetic Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2015. Despite the light rain that was more like heavy mist, LAFD red tagged all but one of the Red Car Property lots for brush clearance "FORTHWITH."  Just a reminder, forthwith is not a fortnight.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

We've seen the red tags ignored & delayed so many times before.  The property owner's rep keeps saying he's getting it done, for months now.  I happened to run into a LAFD brush clearance contractor on the property this afternoon who was bidding on the property.  At least the LAFD is taking the brush clearance seriously this year.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2015.  Yeah, the dry brush on the south end of the property is taller than my dog.  Some is actually over 6' tall. 

We've tracked rainfall totals on Corralitas:
June 11, 2015: 0.01"
Season to date: 11.22"
(Season ends June 30.)

Red Car Property: Red Tagged By LAFD For Brush Clearance - Finally*

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 2, 2014.  "Forthwith" is not a fortnight.  The rest of us had to have our brush clearance done by May 1.  How come the large vacant lot owners seem to get away with not doing their brush clearance for months?

NOTE: Brush Clearance does not mean removing all trees.  Branches should be trimmed up from the ground.  See LAFD's new website for brush clearance requirements.  

See LA City Dept of Forestry for info on protected native trees 

*UPDATE 10-04-14: As if to drive home the point on brush clearance, according to several neighbors on Lake View Ave this morning, a transformer exploded in a flash of light and left parts of the neighborhood without power for the next 9 hours during a bone dry heat wave.  The  downed power lines sparked a fire. No houses were damaged.  We got very lucky this time.
Read more: The Eastsider

Red Car Canyon: 25' Tree Branch Falls, Adding To Fire Danger *Updated

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 7, 2013.  A 25-foot long Eucalyptus tree branch fell in Red Car Canyon, sometime between Thursday & Saturday mornings.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

It is adjacent to the long since fallen, now dead, Eucalyptus tree* & palm tree in dire need of thinning of dead palm fronds.  Further upslope, there are several dense Eucalyptus trees towering above the palm tree, also in need of trimming, as they are looking dry too. 

However, care needs to be taken when thinning out the dead palm fronds and dense trees as they do provide habitat for Great Horned Owls & Cooper's Hawks, as well as other urban wildlife like skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes.  Earlier this year, a neighbor called me to document a Cooper's Hawk harassing a Great Horned Owl in this canyon.  After a good 20 minutes, the owl finally sought refuge in the dark, dense branches between the palm tree & Eucalyptus.

Red Car Canyon is the only part of the Red Car Property where both predators are routinely seen & heard by neighbors (usually not at the same time).

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 9, 2013.  The LAFD Brush Clearance Red Tag Notice is dated September 4, 2013.

Eucalyptus throughout the neighborhood are dying & creating a fire hazard.  The LAFD Brush Clearance Unit noticed the Red Car Property owner to clear this lot (APN 5440-030-033) of dead trees, dry brush & debris last week.  Neighbors on both the Lake View Ave & Corralitas Drive sides of Red Car Canyon are very concerned about these conditions.  City Council District 13 Deputy Adam Bass has been notified of the problem & is working on solutions for this & other ongoing issues on the Red Car Property.

* 9-19-13, UPDATE: The long since dead Eucalyptus went down in January 2010.

Red Car Property: 6 Weeks After LAFD Citation, Arundo Partially Cleared From "Lot C"

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 20, 2011.  A large swath of non-native, invasive Arundo was cleared from "Lot C" of the Red Car Property last week. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Arundo was not cleared all the way to the property line. The piles of cut Arundo were removed by Saturday. It's been nearly 10 years since the Arundo was cleared properly, so, it's better than nothing.  LAFD "red tagged" the property for brush clearance 6 weeks ago.

Arundo is highly combustible.  When it catches fire, the gases build up in the hollow chambers of the stem, exploding and spreading fire in all directions.  It is a terrible landscaping choice for hillside neighborhoods.

The California Invasive Plant Council classifies Giant Reed (Arundo donax) as highly invasive. 

Red Car Property: LAFD Red Tagged "Lot C" For Brush Clearance

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 4, 2011.  LAFD Brush Inspector Wieser posted Red Tag brush clearance notices, dated Sept. 3, 2011, on "Lot C" of the Red Car Property APN 5438-007-001.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Considering there were close to 60 vehicles parked on "Lot C" on Saturday morning, the instruction to clear the slopes of brush "forthwith" is definitely warranted.  Of course, this isn't the first time LAFD has Red Tagged this lot.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 4, 2011.  LAFD also Red Tagged the Red Car Property lot adjacent to "Lot C," APN 5438-007-002.  Perhaps it explains the relocation of the Adelbert All-Weather Lounge.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Unfortunately, LAFD Brush Inspectors have yet to Red Tag 5440-030-033 where the steep slopes lead up to Lake View  Ave from the meadow, as well as the canyon area, are in dire need of tree trimming, clearance and removal.   

Forthwith is Not a Couple of Fortnights

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 19, 2009. LAFD Brush Clearance Inspector Wieser red tagged the Red Car Property on August 6. The owner still has not cleared brush from the slopes. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

LAFD Red Tagged Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 16, 2009. LAFD red tagged the Red Car Property on August 6. Brush on the slopes has still not been cleared. (Click on photo to enlarge.)