Management

Developed properties in communities within the wildland-urban interface, including homes and businesses, are required to implement and maintain rigorous standards for defensible space. The Homeowner Defensible Space Agreement is designed to work with local homeowners whose home is adjacent to National Forest System lands. The program allows individuals to conduct fuels reduction treatments on National Forest System lands to improve defensible space around their home. This program is specific to National Forest System lands within the Angeles National Forest only and is administered by the U.S. Forest Service, Angeles National Forest.

Homeowner Agreement & Guidelines for Defensible Space/Fuel Reduction

Who can participate in this program?

Any homeowner or tenant who lives in or owns a structure adjacent to the National Forest boundary that needs to conduct fuel reduction treatments on National Forest System lands to improve defensible space around their home in order meet state and local defensible space laws and/or ordinances.

How it works:

• Interested homeowners need to contact the U.S. Forest Service, Angeles National Forest, within each of the following Ranger Districts
• San Gabriel Mountains National Monument – (626)355-1251
• Los Angeles River Gateway District – (818)899-1900
• Angeles National Forest Headquarters located in Arcadia, CA – (626)574-1613

Homeowner Defensible Space Agreements will be issued, at no cost, to landowners who request them, after Forest or Forest approved personnel visits the property to establish treatment boundaries, survey for special status species and select applicable measures to limit environmental impacts.

• Requests for agreements are recommended by February 1st annually to allow Forest Service personnel enough time for surveys for botanical species.
• The Forest Service will make an appointment with interested homeowners to meet on site to explain the details of the agreement.
• The local fire district may also conduct a defensible space evaluation prior to or during the site visit.
• The Homeowner Defensible Space Agreement allows a homeowner to conduct low impact defensible space treatments on National Forest System lands. These activities include removing brush, pine needle, and surface litter, pruning trees (specific guidelines are provided in the agreement).
• The approved treatments are similar to yard cleanup activities that a typical homeowner would undertake annually to comply with existing state and local defensible space laws and/or ordinances.

Guidelines

The following guidelines and PAL requirements are for homeowners to use while implementing hazard reduction treatments to meet PRC 4291 and are extending treatments on Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. It is the responsibility of the individual operating on public land to know the PAL level for the day and to take the correct fire precautions.

Before starting your treatments review these guidelines:

• Do all yard maintenance that requires a gas or electric motor before 10 a.m., not in the heat of the day, or when the wind is blowing.
• Lawnmowers are designed to mow lawns. Never use lawn mowers in dry vegetation.
• Use a weed trimmer to cut down dry weeds and grass.
• Remove rocks in the area before you begin operating any equipment. A hidden rock in grass or weeds is enough to start a fire when struck by a metal blade.
• Keep the exhaust system, spark arresters and mower in proper working order and free of carbon buildup.
• Keep the engine free of oil and dust and keep the mower free of flammable materials.
• Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires you won’t even see until it’s too late.
• Don’t pull off into the dry grass or brush.
• Keep a cell phone nearby and call 911 immediately in case of a fire.

Spark Arresters: USDA Forest Service approved spark arresters are required on all internal combustion engines. Heavy equipment that is diesel and turbocharged are exempt from this requirement. All vehicles such as dump trucks that are licensed and otherwise registered for highway travel are also exempt from the spark arrester requirement.

Project Activity Level - PAL is a scientifically-based "decision support process" to provide a fire precautionary system for industrial operations on National Forest lands in California. The goal is to balance the reduction in the ignition risk of large damaging wildfires with the accomplishment of resource (forest projects) management activities. PAL is a danger-rating climatology-based system. It considers the effects of weather conditions for the last 30-45 days and overall seasonality.

Each homeowner under an agreement, will be advised which weather station to monitor their PAL levels and written on the agreement. To find out the PAL level for the day call: 661.723.2752 or visit:  Project Activity Level (PAL) 

Red Flag Warnings: If a Red Flag Warning is issued (despite the PAL Level), ALL work will cease and be suspended until the Red Flag warning is canceled and the Forest Service approves a resumption of the project. Project activities may be shut down by the Forest Service at any time due to changes in weather conditions, active fire in the area, local resource drawdown conditions, and/or any violations of any project requirements.

An Overview

Angeles National Forest generally conducts prescribed fires (planned fires) in the late fall through springtime or even early summer, although timing can vary from year-to-year depending on when or if conditions allow. Prescribed fires help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires.

Planned ignitions will begin when weather and fuel conditions become optimal for achieving management objectives while keeping smoke impacts to surrounding communities to a minimum. Weather and fuel conditions are being closely monitored, and the prescribed burning program continues as long as conditions remain favorable. We evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

Be Aware: 

• Stay informed about scheduled prescribed fires through alerts on the Angeles National Forest’s website and social media channels. We notify county emergency management officials when burning begins, as well.
• Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
• Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to find more detailed information about air quality. 
• When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

Why Are Prescribed Fires Ignited on the Wildlands?

Prescribed fires, whether broadcast burning or pile burning, combined with mechanical and/or hand thinning treatments, are effective land management tools frequently used to reduce the accumulation of vegetation, also called "hazardous fuels."  Cutting back or removing vegetation reduces fire intensity and risk of catastrophic wildland fires. In turn, this action minimizes risks to firefighter and public safety. Additional benefits include improved wildlife habitat and long-term sustainability of healthier ecosystems.

How Are Prescribed Burns Conducted?

Public safety is always the first consideration of all fire management operations. Prior to each prescribed fire, a detailed plan is developed to include desired objectives, when and where to burn, under what conditions to burn, acceptable fire behavior, organization of staffing, contingency plans for fire control, smoke management, and public concerns. Roads and natural features are used as ways to contain the prescribed fire. 

Finally, highly trained fire management personnel carefully apply fire to the treatment areas and closely monitor a fire’s progress to ensure 1) the fire stays exactly where it is intended and 2) the fire is meeting or will meet, the planned objectives.

Burned areas are monitored afterwards for safety. 

Broadcast vs. Pile Burns

Fire managers utilize two primary prescribed fire techniques. Broadcast burning involves the widespread application of fire to ground vegetation. Spring and fall are the most common times for this type of burning. Broadcast burns aim to treat a whole area and not just a pile.

After cutting and stacking vegetation into piles, a prescribed fire will light this vegetation. Pile-burning is another form of a prescribed fire. 

Crews cut small trees and limb on live trees to reduce the ability of fire to climb from one branch to another like a ladder from the ground to the tops of trees. By doing this and removing nearby vegetation, fire isn't as likely to ignite other nearby trees or other vegetation.

Fire managers often burn these piles when the area has adequate snow cover. Fall and winter are the most common times for this type of burning.

What Can I Expect to See?

After the burn is completed, the average eye might see the area as simply black and barren. But take a moment to look closer. A quick examination of a grassy area will likely reveal the unburned bottoms of grass stems now free to grow uninhibited by years of dead grass layers that may have been robbing the plant of water, nutrients, and light. 

Prescribed burns are used to thin out "ladder fuels" and overly dense patches of small trees. In some cases, one might see larger numbers of small trees and ladder fuels which have been killed by the prescribed fire. Prescribed fire can also kill unhealthy and/or bug-infested trees. In those cases, one might see larger swaths of fire-killed trees that will restart the natural progression of the ecosystem. 

Watch the landscape rebound after fire. Fire has shaped this land for thousands of years.

What About the Smoke?

Smoke from prescribed fires can often be seen for many miles. Fire management specialists work diligently to adhere to smoke management regulations set forth by the South Coast Air Quality Managment District.

The primary objective when land managers conduct fuels reduction projects is to reduce the possibility of large wildfires which can, among other things, generate dangerous amounts of smoke. The amount and duration of lingering smoke created from small-scale prescribed fires are minimal compared to the numerous dense smoke-filled days due to massive wildfires.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information view the AQMD Current Air Quality Map.