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September 30, 2005

Topanga Fire, Marine Air to Help Today

 
The official name of the Chatsworth fire now Topanga Fire. New figures put the acreage at 21,000 with 20% containment. 15 miles of open line exists however cooler marine air is expected today which will help.

Yesterday I watched the fire all day. I never felt more proud of the fire service. One home was lost early on but 2,200 homes were saved. I've never seen more brilliant coordination of ground and air support. A lot of credit goes to local municipalities and homeowners themselves for having built in defensible positions for firefighters. Dry vegetation, brush and trees were cleared of dwellings in most cases.
This is the way it is supposed to be but more often isn't.

I am also proud to see the different agencies work so well together. I will try to get a link to a 209 report later today and get a list of all the agencies represented. Los Angeles County and City fire Departments, Ventura County Fire and the California Department of Forestry must be credited up front.

One thing this near disaster showed everyone is government agencies can work together with proper planning.