By Mary O’KEEFE

The Crescenta Valley Fire Safe Council will be holding an informational meeting tonight, June 30, at 6 p.m. at Sadler Hall, St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church, 2563 Foothill Blvd.

The CVFSC organization was created soon after the Station Fire in 2009. The purpose of the Council is to highlight fire concerns of residents in the foothills community.

Initially, the focus of the CVFSC was on the Briggs Terrace area, a neighborhood that has one way in and one way out. The streets are narrow and with unreliable cellphone service this area was of great concern during the Station Fire … which continues to be an issue.

The CVFSC has worked on, and is continuing to work on, proactive programs to help inform and protect Briggs Terrace residents and has also worked on the same proactive programs to help other neighborhoods.

Members of the CVFSC board have invited representatives from law enforcement and fire safety to the roundtable discussion.

In a recent conference with leaders from several fire agencies, fire chiefs spoke about how wildland fires are becoming more frequent and more dangerous.

Years ago California’s fire season peaked between July and October; however, an extended drought, warm temperatures and a shorter wet season have attributed to climate change, and are leaving the land primed for destructive fires earlier in the year creating a fire season that is now year round.

“This is my 11^th year as fire chief and nine out of the 11 years I feel like a [broken] record … This year is going to be hotter and it is going to be drier,” said Chief Darrel Osby, Los Angeles County Fire Dept., in an earlier interview with CVW.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Oxnard, the rainfall total recorded in Burbank since Oct. 1, 2021 was 9.92 inches; the normal total is 13.76 leaving a deficit of 3.84 inches.

The water year that ended Sept. 30, 2021 was the second driest on record due to extreme heat and lack of rain and snow. All 58 counties in California are now under a drought emergency proclamation, according to the state of California Drought Action.

“We are expecting a hotter, drier summer leading into the fall [when] we have our wind-driven fires in Southern California,” Osby added.

“CVFSC mission is to help our neighbors in the urban [wildland] interface area known as Briggs Terrace prepare for and recover from forest fires. As ‘CV Ready’ we also help make our neighborhoods more resilient from earthquakes and other natural disasters,” according to the CVFSC website.

CV Fire Safe Council has sponsored evacuation drills and several seminars that focus on emergency preparedness. Tonight’s meeting is the chance to share fire concerns and, as neighbors, find ways to be proactive to protect neighborhoods.

For more information, go to www.cvfiresafecouncil.org.