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Too many big animals died in the Angeles Station Fire.
I was very sad about the 2nd column I wrote for the LA Weekly about animals killed in the horrific Angeles Station Fire. (I mean, the topic: the column itself came out fine.) The L.A. Times wrote that a huge number of big animals had died in the fire. I was going to call about this anyway, but the Weekly gave me the excuse I needed. I spoke with Kevin Cooper, a biologist with the US Forest Service, who was also mentioned in the Times article, briefly. Since my first post in my Griffith Park blog, a Google keyword phrase that people have been using to find my Griffith Park-oriented…
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The LAFD is fast, not furious.
The LAFD plays Speedy Gonzales. A car fire broke out Tuesday, October 20 at 5:27 on the east side of the LA River, opposite Griffith Park. According to Firefighter Richard Matheney, one engine responded and they knocked down the fire in 4 minutes. As usual, I’m curious. Why a car fire? It wasn’t a hot day. And why right next to the LA River? (the trees at the bottom of the photo are actually in the LA River.) There, see? I can say nice things about the LA Fire Department! This certainly did make a lot of smoke, but I saw 2 firefighters there almost immediately. For some reason, it…
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Don’t yell out fire in uncrowded Griffith Park
I can understand why homeowners have been nervous nellies about pointing fingers at the fire department, really I can. Who needs firemen most? Desperate housewives and homeowners. But the LA Fire Department did such a craptacular job in the recent Griffith Park fire that maybe it’s time for someone to point a finger. So I will. Photo by permission from losermike. He describes it as a compilation of several photographs. It has a foreboding look, and was how I felt about the fire. It did not entertain me. We saw the fire from the beginning, on the south slope of the Park near the 5. Actually, it was the sunlight…
