Officials urge SoCal residents to remove fire-fueling brush near homes

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Fire officials in Southern California Friday urged residents to clear out their brush to minimize the chance of sparking major fires.

The message was delivered after Southern California's unusually wet winter, which produced plenty of vegetation that could provide fuel for brush fires to take off.

"There's a lot grass out there. It's good for quick ignitions, rapid starts, so when a fire does start it can spread fast," Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher said. "If we do have wind on that it will move faster, and it will have more energy to it."

Firefighters throughout Southern California say they just don't have the manpower or equipment to protect every home, particularly in fire prone areas. They want residents to clear out brush around home.

"L.A. County has had a very aggressive brush clearance effort. It started in May. We've increased the number of residential brush inspections that we're doing," said L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. "We started out at about 50,000-plus, but we've increased that to over 100,000 residential brush inspections. Many people who have not complied have been cited."

Fire officials encourage residents to stay ready in the event of a major brush fire.

"It is important to protect yourselves and your family by planning, preparing and staying aware," LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said.