On Friday, June 7, 2024, County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) team members participated in the 2024 Bear Classic.
This year’s softball tournament was made possible thanks to the IAFF Local 1014 and Los Angeles County Firefighter’s Benefits and Welfare Association.
The 2024 Bear Classic, held at the Sportsplex in the City of West Covina, included food, music, entertainment, and the LA Kings Street Team hockey rink with puck shoot for families to enjoy.
Chief Deputy Jon F. O’Brien has worked as a fire service professional for over 33 years. Chief O’Brien started his career as a volunteer firefighter with the City of Sierra Madre. After graduating from high school, he completed paramedic training at the Los Angeles County Paramedic Training Institute and was hired by the City of Monrovia as a full-time firefighter/paramedic until he joined the County of Los Angeles in 1999.
Chief O’Brien has served in several operational and administrative assignments, promoting through the ranks to his current position as Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. Along the way, he has worked as a flight medic in the Department’s Air Operations Section, a fire crew supervisor in the Camps Section, a recruit training captain, and a field battalion chief.
In April 2014, Chief O’Brien was assigned to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau and was responsible for the education and training of the Department’s 3,200 emergency medical technicians and 1,250 paramedics. The following year in November 2015, Chief O’Brien was promoted to assistant fire chief and assigned to Division VI in the Central Regional Operations Bureau. In July 2017, he returned to the EMS Bureau as Acting Deputy Fire Chief and was officially appointed to Deputy Fire Chief in December 2017.
In April 2020, Chief O’Brien was assigned as deputy fire chief of the North Regional Operations Bureau where he oversaw the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the Air and Wildland Division and the Technical Operations Section. He was also the incident commander of the Department’s Incident Management Team 1.
In October 2022, Chief O’Brien assumed the role of Acting Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. On August 23, 2023, Chief O’Brien was officially appointed as Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. As Chief Deputy, Chief O’Brien serves as second in command and is responsible for overseeing the Fire Department’s three Operations bureaus (North, Central, and East), as well as the Air and Wildland Division and the Lifeguard Division. Chief O’Brien is also responsible for the Training and Emergency Medical Services Bureau and the Homeland Security Section.
Chief O’Brien received his Associate of Arts degree in Fire Science at Mount San Antonio Community College and his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Policy and Management at the University of Southern California. He currently represents the Department on the FIRESCOPE Operations Team and the Los Angeles County Measure B Advisory Committee.
Deputy Fire Chief William L. Mayfield Jr. is a 35-year veteran of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD). He began his fire service career in 1988 and has held the ranks of firefighter, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief. Chief Mayfield was appointed to deputy fire chief in March 2024.
Chief Mayfield currently manages the Training and Emergency Medical Services Bureau. Emergency medical services is responsible for paramedic training, certification, equipment, quality improvement, and legal aspects for all basic and advanced emergency medical services provided by the LACoFD. Training Services is responsible for training all new firefighters and conducting ongoing in-service training sessions for all members. Training Services develops training materials, organizes classes and training programs for recruits and refresher courses for other Department personnel.
Chief Mayfield’s previous assignment was to command and lead the Central Regional Operations Bureau. In that role, he provided leadership for four divisions, seven battalions, 55 fire stations within 22 cities, and over 1,600 firefighting and lifeguard personnel. The Lifeguard Division provides water rescue and medical services to 11 cities and consists of specialized and trained professionals who protect Catalina Island and 72 miles of sandy beaches and open water.
As an assistant fire chief, Chief Mayfield managed Division 4 in the East Regional Operations Bureau, consisting of three battalions, 12 cities and 25 fire stations. Chief Mayfield has been a chief officer for over 18 years. He has worked multiple operational, administrative, and special assignments throughout his career, including Fire Prevention, Command and Control, and several field commands.
As an incident commander, Chief Mayfield also assists in managing the LACoFD’s Incident Management Team 1.
Julia Kim began her employment with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department in January 2015, and has served in the Professional Performance Section, Employee Relations Division, Risk Management Division, and the Human Resources Division.
Chief Kim was appointed to deputy fire chief of the Administrative Services Bureau in September 2023.
Deputy Fire Chief Mike Inman has worked as a fire service professional for over 40 years. Chief Inman started his career in 1983, as a reserve firefighter with the Monterey Park Fire Department. In 1986, he was hired as a firefighter with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) and has promoted through the ranks as a firefighter, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief. Chief Inman was appointed to deputy fire chief in March 2024.
Currently, Chief Inman is assigned to the Special Services Bureau where he leads a team of nearly 300 professional staff with 113 dedicated dispatch personnel dispatching more than 449,000 calls for services each year, 94 professional trades personnel that provide facility maintenance and oversee construction of new and replacement structures for over 260 facilities, and over 55 mechanics responsible for repairing, outfitting, and maintaining a fleet of more than 1,900 Department vehicles and emergency apparatus. Chief Inman also oversees the LACoFD’s Equipment Development Committee.
Prior the Special Services Bureau, Chief Inman was assigned to the East Regional Operations Bureau where he led and managed four divisions with 1,400 personnel, 10 battalions, and 76 fire stations serving 34 cities.
Well versed in emergency management, Chief Inman became a pioneer in the urban search and rescue program that included several national deployments. For over 23 years, he has held various incident command system positions as part of the United States Forest Service Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) and served as the operations section chief and operations branch director with the Cal Fire Type 1 IMT. Since 1998, Chief Inman has served in various capacities on the LACoFD Incident Management Teams.
Chief Inman is a certified California State Fire Marshal Chief Officer, and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Development Program and Public Safety Leadership Program at the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy. He teaches FEMA and California Incident Command Certification System courses and is a qualified incident commander, operations section chief, safety officer, and division supervisor.
Over the last several years, Chief Inman has served as the operations section chief for several all-risk and wildland urban interface incidents, including, but not limited to, the Woolsey Fire (2018), Saddle Ridge Fire (2019), Operation Room Key (2020), COVID-19 Mass Vaccinations (2021), and Super Bowl LVI (2022).
Deputy Fire Chief Robert Harris started his career at the age of 19 after he was appointed reserve firefighter with the City of Montebello Fire Department. Chief Harris began his service with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) on May 8, 1992. During his tenure with the LACoFD, he has promoted through the ranks from firefighter to firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief. Chief Harris served as acting deputy fire chief and was appointed to deputy fire chief of the Central Regional Operations Bureau in June 2024.
Over the years, Chief Harris has attended Dillard University (New Orleans), the University of Southern California, Long Beach Community College, and Compton Community College. Chief Harris is a graduate of Columbia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration.
Throughout his 33 years of service with the LACoFD, Chief Harris has also served as a member of the Department’s international urban search and rescue team. He has traveled and provided rescue efforts around the globe. For more than four years, he served as the program manager of our elite rescue team and was the Department’s primary point-of-contact with our State, federal, and international partners.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family and riding motorcycles. Chief Harris has a true passion for mentoring others who are seeking a career in the fire service. He believes in the motto, “each one, reach one”.
Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Breshears started his fire service career at the age of 23 after he was appointed to the Monrovia Fire Department on February 24, 1994. Chief Breshears then accepted a position with the Orange County Fire Authority in 1999 and began his service with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) in December of 2000.
Chief Breshears steadily promoted through the ranks from firefighter to firefighter paramedic, firefighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief. Chief Breshears was appointed to deputy fire chief in December 2021.
Over the years, Chief Breshears attended Lutheran High School (La Verne, California), Glendale College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kaplan University, and California State University, Long Beach. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire and Emergency Management and a Master of Science degree in Emergency Services Administration.
For more than three years, Chief Breshears served as the battalion chief of the Professional Performance Section. As a captain, he also completed a special assignment as the LACoFD’s incident command system coordinator. Chief Breshears is a state-certified instructor and Type II Operations Section Chief and Deputy Incident Commander for the LACoFD Incident Management
Team 1.
In June 2021, Chief Breshears was selected to serve on the FIRESCOPE Task Force. He is currently assigned as the deputy fire chief over the North Regional Operations Bureau.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and restoring classic cars. While he is very proud of his profession, he considers being a father to three amazing daughters as his greatest accomplishment in life.
As the Chief Deputy of Business Operations, Theresa Barrera oversees the Fire Department’s $1.6 billion budget and provides executive oversight of the Administrative Services, Special Services, and Prevention Services Bureaus, the Planning and Grants and Executive Support Divisions, and the Compliance Office.
Chief Barrera joined the Fire Department in 2004 and served as the Assistant Chief and Chief of the Financial Management Division. In 2022, Chief Barrera was appointed as Deputy Fire Chief of the Administrative Bureau and worked closely with internal and external stakeholders to improve standard business practices, ensure administrative and fiscal compliance, and foster a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. On August 23, 2023, Chief Barrera was appointed as the Chief Deputy of Business Operations.
Prior to joining the Fire Department, Chief Barrera held various fiscal positions at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and Auditor-Controller. Chief Barrera received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Deputy Fire Chief Eleni Pappas was hired by the County of Los Angeles Fire Department in 2001. During her tenure with the Department, she has promoted through the ranks from firefighter to fire fighter specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, and assistant fire chief.
Chief Pappas was appointed to the position of deputy fire chief in 2021. She served in Business Operations leading the Special Services Bureau for three years. Chief Pappas currently serves in Emergency Operations in the East Regional Operations Bureau.
Chief Pappas holds a Master of Science degree in Emergency Management from California State University at Long Beach.
East Los Angeles
4801 E Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323) 881-7068
Hawthorne
4475 W El Segundo Blvd.
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 263-2732
Lomita
24330 Narbonne Ave.
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 534-6238
Lynwood
3161 Imperial Hwy.
Lynwood, CA 90262
(310) 603-5258
Vernon Office
4305 S. Santa Fe Ave
Vernon, CA 90058
(310) 583-8811 ext. 280
West Hollywood
864 N San Vicente Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-2380
Commerce
2535 Commerce Way
Commerce, CA 90040
(323) 720-9913
*Commerce*
LAND DEVELOPMENT UNIT
5823 Rickenbacker Road
Commerce, CA 90040
(323) 890-4243
CODES AND ORDINANCES UNIT
5823 Rickenbacker Road
Commerce, CA 90040
(323) 890-4226
PREVENTION DATA SYSTEMS UNIT
5823 Rickenbacker Road
Commerce, CA 90040
(323) 890-4340
Arcadia
125 S. Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 574-0963
Cerritos
19030 Pioneer Blvd
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 860-8014
Irwindale
5200 Irwindale Ave
Irwindale, CA 91706
(626) 430-3050
Azusa
605 N. Angeleno Ave
Azusa, CA 91702
(626) 969-7876
Diamond Bar
1061 S. Grand Ave
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
(909) 620-2216
Glendora
231 W. Mountain View Ave
Glendora, CA 91741
(626) 963-0067
La Habra
850 W. La Habra Blvd
La Habra, CA 90633
(562) 691-9369
PETROLEUM CHEMICAL UNIT
5200 Irwindale Ave
Irwindale, CA 91706
(626)430-3040
HIGH RISE/COUNTY FACILITIES UNIT
590 S. Park Street
Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 620-8327
Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone has been a member of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department for 38 years and a chief officer for the past 26 years. Prior to his appointment by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors as the tenth Fire Chief and Forester and Fire Warden, Chief Marrone served as the Interim Fire Chief.
Chief Marrone leads one of the largest metropolitan emergency services agencies in the United States, providing traditional fire and life safety services to more than 4.1 million residents and commercial business customers in 60 cities served by the Department, in addition to 120 unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County within its 2,311-square-mile service delivery area. The Department operates out of 176 fire stations, with 5,000 emergency responders and business professionals operating with an annual budget of just over $1.6 billion. In addition, the Department provides lifeguard, air and wildland, hazardous materials, homeland security, health hazardous materials, forestry, and urban search and rescue services throughout the County. The Department’s urban search and rescue team, known internationally as USA-2, is one of only two highly specialized teams available for international response through a cooperative agreement with the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
Chief Marrone’s well-established career combines broad experience in both emergency and business operations with an extensive list of accomplishments and assignments, including leading and managing Business Operations, the Leadership and Professional Standards Bureau, Special Services Bureau, Emergency Medical Services Bureau, East Regional Operations Bureau, and Central Regional Operations Bureau, in addition to special projects. He has also directly managed routine and complex wildland fires and other significant all-risk incidents.
During his career with the Department, Chief Marrone has served on the Los Angeles County Emergency Preparedness Commission, the FIRESCOPE Board of Directors, Legal Exposure Reduction Committee, County Emergency Operations Center Team Lead, and as an Incident Commander on one of the Department’s three Incident Management Teams.
Chief Marrone looks forward to collaborating with the Board of Supervisors, labor unions, stakeholder organizations, members of the Department, and the residents and communities we serve, to further stabilize the Department’s budget, increase our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and expand emergency services and community risk reduction programs.
Deputy Fire Chief Vince A. Peña has been with the Los Angeles County Fire Department since 1981. Chief Peña has held the positions of firefighter, firefighter paramedic, firefighter specialist, fire camp foreman, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant fire chief, deputy fire chief, and acting chief deputy.
As a chief officer, battalion chief assignments have included Battalion 5 in Malibu, Battalion 16 in Covina, Battalion 20 in Inglewood, and Battalion 2 in San Dimas. He also served as the camp section battalion chief for the paid camps and heavy equipment unit. As an assistant fire chief, he was assigned to Division 2 in the east San Gabriel Valley and the Air & Wildland Division.
In Chief Peña’s assignment as the deputy fire chief of the North Regional Operations Bureau, he oversaw the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the Technical Operations Section and the Air & Wildland Division. He has also served as operations section chief for the Department on many large wildland incidents and was the incident commander of the Department’s Incident Management Team 1.
Since October 2022, and following his assignment as acting chief deputy, Chief Peña has served as the deputy fire chief over the East Regional Operations Bureau.
Chief Peña attended East Los Angeles College, the University of La Verne, and the Executive Leadership Development Program for the County of Los Angeles. He also instructs incident command courses for the Fire Department and throughout the country.
Deputy Fire Chief Thomas C. Ewald has served in the professional fire services for 35 years. Chief Ewald started his career as a firefighter with the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Fire Department in 1986. While working in the Midwest, he attended community college and completed paramedic training. Chief Ewald joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 1992 where he rose through the ranks serving as firefighter, paramedic, captain, battalion chief, and assistant chief.
Chief Ewald has served as a firefighter paramedic at Universal Studios and West Hollywood; a fire inspector in East Los Angeles; an apparatus engineer in Carson and Pomona; an engine company captain in Southgate and South Los Angeles; a staff captain for the Central Regional Operations Bureau Deputy; a field battalion chief in El Monte, Commerce, Palos Verdes; the chief of Technical Operations, overseeing local, national and international Urban Search and Rescue Operations; assistant chief in Division I, covering the South Bay and Catalina Island, and as the assistant chief, overseeing the Air and Wildland Division.
During his career, Chief Ewald has been called upon to respond to manmade and natural disasters across the county and worldwide with notable incidents, including Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans), Hurricane Dean (Belize), Cyclone Nargis (Camp H.S. Smith Hawaii), 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (Ofunato) , 2011 New Zealand Earthquake (Christchurch) and 2015 Typhoon Maysak (Micronesia).
In December 2017, Chief Ewald was promoted to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief where he oversaw the Department’s Special Services Bureau consisting of three divisions: Fleet Services, Command and Control, and Construction & Maintenance.
On April 1, 2021, Chief Ewald’s tour of duty ended at Special Services and he assumed command of the Central Regional Operations Bureau. By October 2022, Chief Ewald was then assigned to oversee the North Regional Operations Bureau.
Chief Ewald holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Prevention Administration from Cogswell Polytechnical College and a Master of Science degree in Leadership from the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. In 2018, Chief Ewald attended the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Chief Ewald is a qualified Type 2 Incident Commander and Type 2 Operation Section Chief and provides leadership to the Department’s Incident Management Team Two.
Chief Ewald resides in Southern California with his wife and four children.
Assistant Fire Chief: 323.586.7049
Community Services Liaison: 323.586.7039
Today, the CFPD serves all of the unincorporated area within Los Angeles County, as well as the following 60 incorporated cities, 59 of which are in Los Angeles County and one in Orange County:
Agoura Hills
Artesia
Azusa
Baldwin Park
Bell
Bellflower
Bell Gardens
Bradbury
Calabasas
Carson
Cerritos
Claremont
Commerce
Covina
Cudahy
Diamond Bar
Duarte
El Monte
Gardena
Glendora
Hawaiian Gardens
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Hidden Hills
Huntington Park
Industry
Irwindale
Inglewood
La Canada Flintridge
La Habra (Orange Co.)
Lakewood
Lancaster
La Mirada
La Puente
Lawndale
Lomita
Lynwood
Malibu
Maywood
Norwalk
Palmdale
Palos Verdes Estates
Paramount
Pico Rivera
Pomona
Rancho Palos Verdes
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Rosemead
San Dimas
Santa Clarita
Signal Hill
South El Monte
South Gate
Temple City
Vernon
Walnut
West Hollywood
Westlake Village
Whittier
Since the passage of Proposition 13, thirteen cities have entered into fee-for-service contracts with the CFPD. These are cities that are annexed to and/or contract with the Fire District for services. The CFPD bills these cities an annual fee for the cost of providing services. Annual fees are based upon the net cost of staffing levels in the city plus overhead. These fees are updated annually based upon current salary, employee benefits, and overhead costs. These fee-for-service cities are as follows:
Azusa
Commerce
Covina
El Monte
Gardena
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Inglewood
La Habra (Orange County)
Lynwood
Palos Verdes Estates
Pomona
Vernon
The CFPD also has contracts with State, Federal, and other agencies that generate revenues, as well as a few fees and charges for various services.
Commonly known as the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (CFPD) is a dependent special district. As a dependent special district, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors acts as the CFPD’s board of directors. Fire protection districts are governed by the Fire Protection District Law of 1987 (Health & Safety Code, Section 13800 et al). The CFPD has the additional responsibilities for the Forester & Fire Warden (F&FW). In 1992, the duties of the F&FW were assigned to the CFPD and those responsibilities are found in the Los Angeles County Code 2.20.
The CFPD has a civilian oversight committee that annually reviews expenditures of the CFPD’s special tax to ensure it is expended in the manner approved by voters in 1997. Authority for the oversight committee is found in the establishing resolution for the special tax. The committee has seven members, one each appointed by each member of the Board of Supervisors, one appointed by the City Selection committee, and the director of the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiency Committee.
Health Hazardous Materials is a Certified Unified Program Agency that administers the following programs within Los Angeles County; the Hazardous Waste Generator Program, the Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Program, the California Accidental Release Prevention Program (Cal-ARP), the Aboveground Storage Tank Program and the Underground Storage Tank Program.
Fire District services are funded primarily through a direct allocation of property taxes and a voter-approved special tax on all properties within the property tax cities served by the Fire District. The amount of property tax revenue generated within a city is based on assessed value and varies from city to city. This includes all unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and the following 47 cities:
Agoura Hills
Artesia
Baldwin Park
Bell
Bellflower
Bell Gardens
Bradbury
Calabasas
Carson
Cerritos
Claremont
Cudahy
Diamond Bar
Duarte
Glendora
Hawaiian Gardens
Hidden Hills
Huntington Park
Industry
Irwindale
La Canada Flintridge
Lakewood
Lancaster
La Mirada
La Puente
Lawndale
Lomita
Malibu
Maywood
Norwalk
Palmdale
Paramount
Pico Rivera
Rancho Palos Verdes
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Rosemead
San Dimas
Santa Clarita
Signal Hill
South El Monte
South Gate
Temple City
Walnut
West Hollywood
Westlake Village
Whittier
Assistant Fire Chief: (626) 280-6959
Community Services Liaison: (626) 280-8504
Assistant Fire Chief: (909) 620-2003
Community Services Liaison: (909) 469-2659
Assistant Fire Chief: (310) 317-1802
Community Services Liaison: (310) 456-7923
Assistant Fire Chief: (661) 940-6791
Community Services Liaison: (661) 948-3785
Assistant Fire Chief: (562) 860-5524
Community Services Liaison: (562) 402-9709
Assistant Fire Chief: (661) 298-5280
Community Services Liaison: (661) 250-2710
Assistant Fire Chief: (626) 974-8371
Community Services Liaison: (626) 732-3531
Assistant Fire Chief: (310) 329-3315
Community Services Liaison: (310) 217-7074
CERT Training is offered free of charge. Participants have no obligation or commitment to respond or act in the event of a disaster. The class curriculum for the training program consists of the following:
Unit 1 – DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Introduction to disasters and the impact disasters have on infrastructures. This course covers the role of CERT volunteers.
Unit 2 – DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION
Fire chemistry and basic fire suppression; identifying and reducing potential fire hazards; firefighting resources and techniques, as well as a discussion on hazardous materials.
Unit 3 – DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS 1
The principles of Triage and the treatment strategies for life-threatening conditions.
Unit 4 – DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS 2
Head-to-toe patient assessments, establishing treatment areas, treatments for burns, lacerations, raptures, sprains, and other injuries. This is basic information, NOT a first-Aid class.
Unit 5 – LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
Search and Rescue priorities and resources; size-up techniques and rescuer safety, lifting, cribbing, and victim removal.
Unit 6 – DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION
The post disaster emotional environment, the Incident Command System, and decision-making and documentation.
Unit 7 – TERRORISM
Risk and threat analysis, types of terrorism weapons, and travel and terrorism.
Unit 8 – COURSE REVIEW AND SIMULATION
A review of your newly learned skills and either a hands-on drill simulation, or a table top exercise.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau was created in ____ ____, to address the growing EMS needs across the County. In total, EMS 9-1-1 calls comprise nearly 85 percent of the Department’s responses. The Department is committed to providing prompt, clinically skilled, and caring medical service to ensure positive outcomes for everyone, every time.
Saturday, June 1, 2019:
Wednesday, June 5, 2019:
Thursday, June 6, 2019:
Friday, June 7, 2019:
The dry, sunny climate and variable terrain of Southern California combine to create an environment where wildfires are a part of the natural ecosystem and an almost year-round occurrence. This ecosystem fosters a diverse fire-adapted community of plants and animals. Although human caused wildfires far outnumber naturally occurring wildfires within Los Angeles County, both have the potential to create situations where structures in the Wildland Urban Interface can be at risk. All vegetation will burn, even though irrigation has created a deceptively lush landscape of ornamental plants.
Following the loss of lives and structures during the 1993 wildfire season, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors created the Wildfire Safety Panel to offer recommendations that would help reduce the threat to life and property in areas prone to wildfires. One of the recommendations was to follow the findings of the Wildland Urban lnterface Task Force and another was to enforce the provisions of the Bates Bill. Jurisdictional Fire Departments were required to establish a set of guidelines and landscape criteria for all new construction in Fire Hazard Severity Zones. As a result, Fuel Modification Plans became a requirement within Los Angeles County beginning in 1996.
In the areas served by the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, all new construction, remodeling fifty percent or greater, construction of certain outbuildings and accessory structures over 120 square feet, parcel splits and subdivision/developments within areas designated as Fire Hazard Severity Zones will require a Fuel Modification Plan approval before the applicable land division, Conditional Use Permit, or Building Permit will be approved. The County of Los Angeles Fire Department Forestry Division’s Fuel Modification Unit is responsible for processing, reviewing, and approving these plans.
Cal Fire is responsible for the mapping and revisions to all Fire Hazard Severity Zones across the state. These zone designations establish minimum standards for building construction and exterior landscape features in an effort to mitigate the increasing losses from our cycle of wildfire vents. Cal Fire designates the Severity Zones for all State Responsibility Areas (SRAs). In Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs), the jurisdictional county or city determines the Severity Zones with approval from the state that are then adopted by local ordinance or city councils.
Santa Clarita
23757 Valencia Blvd
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 286-8821
Lancaster
335-A East Ave K-6
Lancaster, CA 93535
(661) 949-6319
Palmdale Fire Prevention
38250 Sierra Highway
Palmdale, CA 93550
(661) 537-2901
Calabasas
26600 Agoura Road, Suite 110
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 880-0341
PUBLIC SAFETY AND FILM UNIT
14425 Olive View Drive
Sylmar, CA 91342
(818) 364-8240
