Aftermath of Firestorms

I read with interest “Knowing When It’s Time to Go--Firefighters say some residents who stayed to protect their homes hurt more than they helped� (Nov. 6).

My question is, “What firefighters?�

I was one of only two residents on Carbon Mesa Road in Malibu who stayed to fight the fires. My home would not have survived if I had not stayed.

Before the flames came southward over the crest of the hills behind us, one fire engine came up Carbon Mesa Road and then immediately turned around and retreated to the safety of Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean’s edge. After the firestorm passed it was 30 minutes before the first fire engine came up the road to help. In the meantime I was carrying buckets of water to put out fires started by the burning embers from the house across the street from me, which burned to the ground along with 19 other of the 45 houses on Carbon Mesa.

Let me say one thing to set the record straight--individual firemen are brave and competent. They really want to do their job. Capt. Cocker and his L.A. County Engine Co. 75 from the north San Fernando Valley, who were the first professional firefighters to arrive on Carbon Mesa during the fire, pitched in immediately. They put out the fire on my guest house roof, saving the structure, refilled their engine water tank from my pool and then moved westward to save another house.

Individual firefighters are great! It is the command structure that leaves me puzzled. I could look down from the burning roof of my house and see at least 30 fire engines parked along Pacific Coast Highway with their red lights flashing “standing ready.� Couldn’t some of them have been released to come up and fight the fires?

DONALD E. CORZINE

Malibu

* When the Dodgers, Lakers or other high-paid celebrities win a league championship, our civic leaders instantly put together an elaborate parade to honor their accomplishments. But when underpaid firefighters work themselves to exhaustion and literally put their lives on the line to save our neighborhoods from destruction, what do they get? A press conference with a few shirt-sleeved politicians looking for another photo-op.

If we had our priorities straight, we would declare a civic holiday, have a real ticker-tape parade and truly honor the dedicated firefighters to whom we all owe so much.

MICHAEL M. JOHNSON

La Canada

* There is an endangered species living in the Santa Monica Mountains; however, “conservationists� such as the Mountains Restoration Trust and the National Park Service are not concerned about its welfare (Nov. 9). Human beings have been “nesting� in the Santa Monicas for years. Our habitat has been ravaged by fire, but these so-called protectors of the environment have a different agenda which calls for preservation of “native plants� rather than residents’ lives and their property.

Come on, let’s rethink our priorities. How about placing erosion control and fire retardant plants above propagation of more fuel for wildfires.

CLAUDIA ELLISON COOK

Topanga

* Jerome Lawrence’s losses in the Malibu fire are immeasurable (Nov. 8), but there is one small, bright note: Over the years, he has been systematically donating materials to the Frances Howard Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Branch Library, helping us rebuild a collection all but destroyed in an arson fire in 1982.

We are thankful that we have been able to preserve this part of Dr. Lawrence’s legacy.

JOHN W. HOLLEMAN

Senior Librarian, Hollywood

* As a retired general contractor, licensed in California since 1949, I have witnessed many horrible fires to our community for so many years. To combat these tragedies there must be more stringent building codes, which must include tile, slate or other fire-proof roofs with brick or stone veneer on the exterior portion of the building. To carry this a little further I might add steel-sash windows. This would benefit all parties concerned, not only the homeowners but the insurance and mortgage companies in keeping the costs down to the recipients.

Until steps of this kind are taken we will continue to face disasters.

A. L. MYERS

Los Angeles

* The photograph, captioned “Riding the Wind� (Nov. 4), belonged on the front page. The countless hours of television coverage and all the news pictures pale next to the intensity of this shot of the burning palm trees, California skyline in the background, and the sparks flying from the trees at right angles.

Congratulations to Times photographer George Wilhelm; he captured a firestorm.

WES PITRMAN

Lomita