Every week there is a fire in the Sepulveda Basin. From the 101 you can see the smoke curl up to the sky, and it usually takes a while for firefighters to put out a blaze – most of which are started at a homeless encampment settled there.
Not only can the fires spread, but they threaten the homeless and others living in the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, a 225-acre natural habitat for various birds and other wildlife.
The San Fernando Valley Audubon Society has donated new equipment to LAFD Station 88 to help defend the Sepulveda Basin from fires.
A fire skid, a self-contained firefighting system that can be quickly mounted on a truck or a trailer, was purchased by SFV Audubon Society (with assistance from the LAFD Foundation), to help Station 88 rapidly deploy an agile defense in areas not accessible to large firetrucks.
“LAFD Station 88 has constantly stepped up to fighting fires in the Sepulveda Basin, helping to preserve the Wildlife Reserve that is continually set on fire by vagrants, etc. SFV Audubon donated funding for the skid in recognition of LAFD #88’s dedication, and to show our support for an LA city department that shares our values,” stated Kathryn Barton, President of SFV Audubon Society.
Captain Aguirre of Station 88 said that the new equipment will help them rapidly deploy to remote areas that they can’t get large trucks through.
“It allows us to be very flexible with staffing,” he reported. “We can fight different types of fires in troubled areas – especially the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve.”
The mission of the SFV Audubon Society is to promote the conservation of natural resources and to preserve and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity, to increase appreciation of bird life and the natural environment through education, presentations, guided bird walks and other activities and to foster opportunities for a diverse population to come together for the protection and celebration of avian life.
