Griffith Park Fires

Councilmember LaBonge asks about 300 hikers to help City officials find the person who is setting fires in Griffith Park. The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating five fires on Sat., Aug. 16th as arson.

Councilmember Tom LaBonge met with Griffith Park area residents and Sierra Club hikers on Tuesday, August 19th in two separate meetings to discuss the recent suspicious fires in the park. Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Logan and Griffith Park Ranger Doug Kilpatrick joined the councilmember in soliciting the public’s help in finding the person or people responsible for the fires.
“We need the public to be our eyes and ears in the park,” said the Councilmember, who hikes in the park daily himself. “These fires must be stopped.”
The officials distributed bulletins urging the public to participate in the search for the firebug. The fires occurred at the worst possible time of year for the park. California chaparral, the park’s native foliage, is highly susceptible to brush fires. Current low rainfall, hot weather, low humidity and wind contribute to a fire hazard.
After meeting with residents at the Griffith Park Visitors Center, the Councilmember walked to a parking lot where about 300 hikers had gathered for a weekly Sierra Club hike. He encouraged them to look out for suspicious activity in the park as well. Last Saturday afternoon, August 16, five fires broke out in different sections of Griffith Park, requiring about 300 firefighters from several agencies to battle them on the ground and in the air. About 50 acres burned in about three hours before the fires were contained. One section of the park, Travel Town, was evacuated and one firefighter was injured and taken to an area hospital.