Station Fire reward extended

Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to renew the $50,000 reward offered by L.A. County for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person/persons who started the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest. Two firefighters lost their lives during that fire. The fire has been classified as the largest in L.A. County history, destroying 160,577 acres, 89 residences, 26 commercial properties and 94 outbuildings. The state has offered a $100,000 reward. The reward was set to rescind in December but has now been extended 180 days from the day of the vote, Nov. 17.

Anyone with information on the Station Fire is asked to contact L. A. County Sheriff Homicide Detectives Mike Valento or Todd Anderson at (323) 890-5500.

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Town Council meets tonight

The Crescenta Valley Town Council meets at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Nov. 19 at Rosemont Middle School. On the agenda is an update from public works regarding mudflow and debris; a drug and narcotics presentation from CV Sheriff detective Chris Seitz; and an introduction to the CV Drug & Alcohol Prevention Council by Glendale Officer Matt Zakarian.

City seeks fire recruits

The City Council voted Tuesday to spend $362,000 to bring the Glendale Fire Department up to full strength after a number of retirements and the expiration of a hiring list.

According to Chief Harold Scroggins, there are currently six vacant positions in the department and that number will double by the first part of next year. The city will spend the money on a new fire academy designed to produce 10 recruits after 14 weeks of training to be conducted by department personnel.

The city has been unable to fund an academy in recent years because of budget cuts. The costs will be paid this year out of money received from outside departments for assistance provided by Glendale fire fighters. Glendale in the past has conducted fire academies with Pasadena and Burbank, but this time the city will go it alone.

The department has a planned manpower of 185 sworn personnel assigned to nine stations.

Antonovich comments on response

“The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s recommendations encouraging the Forest Service to allow night time and first-light air attacks would have prevented the Station Fire’s rapid growth and mitigated its catastrophic toll,” said Antonovich in response to the department’s report on the Station Fire.

The Supervisor also supported the County Fire report calling on the Forest Service to adopt tougher brush clearance requirements increasing the distance from 30 feet to 200 feet – which is the County’s current requirement. He also agreed that a protective barrier will help prevent future damage to the communication infrastructure and the historical resources at Mt. Wilson.

In addition, Antonovich suggested that in fire incidents occurring in National Forest that the County Fire Department should be the lead agency with support from the United State Forest Service.