Re: "Station fire's strength was miscalculated," Sept. 27, and "Probe sought on U.S. response to the Station fire," Sept. 29
Firefighting, including that in hazardous terrain, is an extremely dangerous pursuit performed by very brave personnel.
The fire official who commented on the Station fire in The Times was deadly correct when he said: "Every brush fire starts out small. Either you extinguish the damn thing or it goes a few days and you have a major disaster."
Unfortunately, the lessons learned from the Cedar fire in San Diego County in 2003 have apparently been forgotten. In that case, a hunter set a small signal fire. The fire could not be promptly extinguished and eventually grew to 280,000-plus acres, with 15 dead and large-scale loss of natural resources and property.
Immediate, decisive action is needed to preclude future brush fires from potentially becoming catastrophes.
Edmund H. Conrow
Redondo Beach
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My husband came home the day after the Station fire broke out, disturbed by a report stating that local fire officials had done little the day before to respond to the fire that was, by then, raging in the hills above La Canada Flintridge and approaching the hills above our Altadena home.
