La Habra Heights Easter Bunny Takes A Ride

The La Habra Heights Fire Department once again was delighted to be a part of the La Habra Heights  annual Easter Egg Hunt. Medic Engine 771 delivered the Easter Bunny to “The Park” overhead lights flashing. After the delivery, the crew of ME771 was able to interact with the children during this great traditional event. 

L to R Standing FF Gonzalez, FF/PM Baba, Easter Bunny, FF/PM Hacecky, Fire Captain Drobish

L to R  Front Row  FF Vega and Fire Engineer Gibson

The Fire Department looks forward to this fun-filled extravaganza each year and we are certain this event provides the community a safe family-oriented event and a memorable experience for years to come for all. We can't wait for next year.
 

La Habra Heights Firefighters Redeployed to the "Thomas" Fire to Protect Carpinteria

La Habra Heights Firefighters were deployed to the "Rye" fire in Santa Clarita as part of Strike Team 1086A on December 5th, 2017.  

E772 Spending cold nights protecting the community

Firefighters extinguishing hot spots

 During this time they provided fire protection and support for Los Angeles County Fire Camp 12 in Castaic.

 

On December 10th, 2017, Strike Team XLE 1086 was redeployed to the 230,000 acre "Thomas" fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Casitas Pass Rd and Gobernador Canyon Rd. near Carpinteria.

 

 

 

E772 at Base Camp preparing to engage fire on
Casitas Pass Rd. near Carpinteria

The Strike Team is providing structure protection for the community of Carpinteria. They are actively engaging the fire  to protect homes and residents in the area of

 

During this deployment supporting the California Master Mutual Aid agreement, La Habra Heights remains fully staffed for the protection of the community.


VIDEO NEWS COVERAGE 12/11/17

La Habra Heights Firefighters Deployed to "RYE FIRE" in Santa Clarita

Pursuant to the California Master Mutual Aide agreement, on December 5, 2017, the La Habra Heights Fire Department deployed (1) Engine Company to the "Rye Fire" in Santa Clarita as part of an "Immediate Need" strike team. Additional Firefighters continue to staff fire apparatus within La Habra Heights to respond to any emergencies in the City.

 

Strong winds combined with low humidity has contributed to multiple large wild fires in the region. Firefighters from throughout the west coast are battling fires throughout the state.

 

 

A "Strike Team" consists of (5) Fire Engines and a Battalion Chief Strike Team Leader who work together to attack the fire and protect structures.

Firefighters and Command Staff receive a morning briefing
to discuss strategy, weather, and fire conditions.



Car Slams Guardrail Catching Fire

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 1:13 a.m. a small sedan traveling west bound on East Rd. in La Habra Heights was unable to negotiate a sharp hairpin corner, slamming into the guardrail and bursting into flames.

The driver of the automobile was out of the car upon the arrival of the Fire Department and was not injured. Firefighters extinguished the fire in 15 minutes limiting the fire extension into the surrounding brush.

The force of the impact destroyed about 50' of guardrail and closed East Rd. for about and hour. Firefighters used rotary saws to cut up the guardrail that was twisted across the roadway.

The cause of the collision is under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Vegetation Fire Sparked by Welding operatoin

On Tuesday October 17, 2017 at 11:22 a.m. La Habra Heights Firefighters responded to the 1800 block of Subtropic Dr. on a reported unknown type of fire. On arrival Firefighters discovered a small fire in a in an outdoor vegetation trellis. The majority of fire was extinguished prior to the arrival of Firefighters.

Photo by Rick McClure

Firefighters continued extinguishing the flames and overhauled the area to extinguish any remaining hot spots. flying embers did start a small patch of weeds on fire approximately 75' away. The fire was contained to about 25' of trellis.

The cause of the fire was determined to be due to a welding operation on the overhead trellis.

Auto Fire Extinguished on Encanada Dr. in La Habra Heights

On October 11, 2017 La Habra Heights Firefighters responded to a reported auto fire in the 600 block of Encanada Dr. in La Habra Heights. Upon arrival, Firefighters found a four door sedan with the engine compartment fully involved in fire.



Photos by Nathan Holguin

 

Firefighters conducted an aggressive attack on the fire preventing it from spreading into the surrounding brush.The cause of the fire is listed as electrical. There were no injuries reported.

 

Possible Fireworks Spark 2 Acre Brush Fire in La Habra Heights

On July 4th, 2017, at 10 p.m. Los Angeles County and La Habra Heights Firefighters were dispatched to a reported brush fire near Fullerton Rd and Harbor Blvd just South of Pathfinder Rd in Rowland Heights.
Upon Arrival, Firefighters found a brush fire, burning uphill in heavy brush, on the east side of the 2200 block of Fullerton Rd. in La Habra Heights.  Several structures on Oak Ranch Rd were immediately threatened by the approaching fire.

Approximately 150 Los Angeles County and La Habra Heights Firefighters aided by water dropping helicopters conducted a coordinated, aggressive attack on the fire and were able to contain the fire to approximately 2 acres. Firefighters remained on the scene throughout the night, extinguishing flare ups and hot spots.

Firefighters spent the majority of July 5th in near 100 degree heat overhauling the entire fire area to completely extinguish any remaining fire and embers. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation, however illegal fireworks have not been ruled out.

Tree Takes Down Wires and Power Poles Sparking Grass Fire in La Habra Heights

On June 20, 2017 La Habra Heights Firefighters responded to a reported grass fire with electrical wires down in the 300 block of East Rd. Upon arrival, Firefighters found a large tree that had fallen across the road landing on power lines and communication cables.

The weight of the tree snapped 2 power poles, brought down power and communications cables, and caused a small grass fire on the east side of the road

Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and contained it to a 50' X 50' area of recently cleared dried grass. A private contractor removed the tree and So. Cal. Edison replace several power poles to restore power to the area. East Rd. remained closed until late into the night.

Fire Causes Major Damage to Home in La Habra Heights

On May 7th, 2017 at 12:35 p.m.  La Habra Heights  Firefighters supported by Firefighters from Los Angeles County Fire, Vernon, and Santa Fe Springs were dispatched to a reported structure fire on Dorothea Rd. in La Habra Heights. 

Upon E771’s arrival, firefighters discovered heavy smoke showing from the property and immediately laid a supply line from a nearby fire hydrant. Heavy smoke and fire was visible through the first and second story roof of a 5000 sq. ft. 2-story home. Firefighters made entry through the front door to discover heavy smoke on the first floor. As the firefighters progressed up the stairway they encountered near zero visibility and discovered fire showing in one room to the right of the stairs.

 The Firefighters observed that the fire had burned through the floor from the single story attic portion of the rear section of the house.

The attic of both the one story portion of the home and the second story portion were fully involved in fire.

During the firefight, while firefighters were inside the structure, there were two partial roof collapses. The Incident Commander accounted for all firefighters and ordered firefighting operations into a defensive mode.

 

It took 50 Firefighters 90 minutes to get a knockdown on the fire. Firefighters spent the next 5 hours overhauling the structure and extinguishing all of the hot spots. Due to the extensive damage to the roof, the entire roof and tiles had to be removed. The fire was confined to the both attic's and one room causing extensive damage to the roof structure. There were no injuries and all companies were released from the fire. La Habra Heights Firefighters remained on scene throughout the night to extinguish any hot spot and prevent a rekindle.

The cause is under investigation by LASD Arson Detectives, however the preliminary finding indicates a possible electrical issue in the 1^st floor attic and there is no indication of arson.

 

Small Brush Fire Contained in La Habra Heights

On June 2, 2017 La Habra Heights Firefighters and the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a reported brush fire on Hacienda Rd. just South of Skyline Rd. in La Habra Heights. Firefighters discovered two small spot fires burning uphill in light brush. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and contained them to an area of approximately 100' X 100'.



Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire due to the property owner having recently cleared the dried grass and brush on the steep hillside. The cause of the fire was undetermined.

The La Habra Heights Fire Department recently transitioned to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Center for processing 911 calls and dispatching La Habra Heights fire and EMS resources. This transition has reduced response times and improved the communication and coordination of local fire companies when working together.

Both agencies continue to work together to improve public safety in the communities of La Habra Heights, La Habra, Whittier, and Hacienda Heights through our automatic and mutual aide agreements.

Brush Fire Scorches 1/2 Acre in La Habra Heights

On May 5th, 2017 at 6:45 p.m.  La Habra Heights Firefighters were dispatched to investigate a report of smoke in the area of Hacienda Rd. and Reposado Dr in La Habra Heights. With smoke showing from the powder canyon area, a full brush assignment was requested and additional Firefighters, camp crews, and air support from Los Angeles County Fire, Santa Fe Springs, Downey, and Vernon were dispatched.

The fire was located just off Skyline trail, North of the end of Reposado Dr. Due to the fire being located within the Habitat Authority Preserve area, ground crews had to navigate narrow dirt roads to gain access to the fire. The fire was contained to approximately 1/2 acre of heavy brush and 8' tall milkweed. 75 firefighters assisted by several water dropping helicopters were able to knock down the fire in about an hour. Crews remained on scene for several hours to completely extinguish the fire and create a scratch line around the entire perimeter.



Several factors helped Firefighters quickly control the fire. The recent transition by the La Habra Heights Fire Department to the Los Angeles County Fire Dispatch and communications system has improved communications and interoperability between the two agencies. A series of multi-agency wildland drills with Departments from Los Angeles and Orange Counties have recently been conducted in the Heights, with the next one scheduled for the end of the month.

The cause of the fire has been determined to be an illegal campfire. There were no witnesses or suspects.

While the heavy brush in the area was more than 8' tall, it has not yet dried out. In addition, favorable weather conditions and a lack of wind allowed firefighters to safely attack the fire from the ground. Unfortunately, a few days of low humidity and strong winds can have a significant negative impact on firefighting tactics and efforts.

La Habra Heights Fire Assists L.A. County Fire on Rollover Traffic Accident

On December 26, 2016, the La Habra Heights Fire Department responded as part of automatic aid with Los Angeles County Fire to the intersection of Whittier Blvd and Beach Blvd on a single vehicle roll over traffic collision. Upon arrival firefighters discovered one vehicle which rolled over into the gas station parking lot, landing on it's roof. The car sustained significant damage to the passenger side and all airbags were deployed.

The driver was out of the vehicle on arrival and had suffered a fractured ankle. La Habra Heights Firefighters assisted with patient care and loading. The patient was transported to a local hospital by private ambulance with L.A. County paramedics. A tow truck flipped the vehicle back onto it's wheels for removal.

Smoke Alarms Save Lives and Property

On December 11, 2016 at 2:00 P.M., the La Habra Heights Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire on the 900 block of Cancho Ln. in La Habra Heights. Upon arrival firefighters found a small fire in an upstairs living room which had been extinguished by the homeowner. Firefighters extinguished the remaining material and overhauled the room. Damage was limited to the wood floor and minimal contents.

The fire started when a burning log rolled out of the fireplace into a pile of combustible material. At the time of the fire, the resident was working in a remote location on the property and was unaware that a fire had started. Fortunately, other members of the family, upon returning home, were walking towards the remote section of the property when they heard the activated smoke alarms.

Upon entering the home to investigate, the residents were met with heavy smoke. 911 was immediately contacted and the homeowner extinguished the fire with a garden hose. 

Due to code violations, the Building Department, Code Enforcement, and Fire Department has been working with the homeowner to gain compliance with local building and fire codes. The residents were ordered last month to install working smoke alarms throughout the structure, remove pack-rat conditions, repair stairways, and clear access and egress routes for safety.

It was clear when examining the sequence of events that without properly working smoke alarms, the structure would have sustained major damage and possibly loss of life.

Brush Clearance: An Investment towards a Safer Community

Courtesy of txdot.gov

Prevention, early detection, and rapid response against invasive plants are investments to you and your neighborhood. Control costs increase exponentially over time if infestations of invasive plants are allowed to persist. 

One mature tumbleweed, for example, can spread up to 250,000 seeds and germinate with very limited amounts of moisture. This allows tumbleweeds to dominate other vegetation and can become even a greater nuisance during the worst of droughts. 

Invasive plants such as tumbleweeds should be abated quickly and aggressively to prevent infestations and to reduce the risk of a fire endangering you and your loved ones.

Driver Transported to Trauma Center in La Habra Heights Traffic Accident

On Saturday October 29, 2016 the driver of a vehicle traveling Southbound on Hacienda Rd. near West Rd. lost control of his car and went off the roadway striking a tree with the driver side of the vehicle.

The force of the impact pushed the car back into the roadway, coming to rest in the Northbound lane. The driver suffered serious injuries and was treated and transported to a local trauma center by La Habra Heights Firefighter/Paramedics.

The cause of the accident will be investigated by the L.A. County Sheriffs Department.

La Habra Heights Fire Department Awarded $870,000 SAFER Grant

La Habra Heights, California

An $870,000 grant has been awarded to the City of La Habra Heights Fire Department by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

The funding was provided via the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER)grant program.

“We are very pleased to see the Federal government actively supports the excellent work being done by the La Habra Heights Fire Department,” says Mayor Kyle Miller.  “The residents of La Habra Heights are very proud of the cost-effective work our volunteer Fire Department has done for many years to keep our community safe.”

The SAFER grants program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations throughout the nation to help increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association.

The La Habra Heights Fire Department provides Firefighters the opportunity to work on a fire engine, as a firefighter, responding to 911 emergencies in a professional setting. This experience helps them transition to a paid, career fire department with greater success. For this reason other fire departments actively recruit from La Habra Heights. 

Of the roughly eighty firefighters working for the Department, over 60% are successful at achieving their goal of becoming a career paid firefighter each year.

The grant duration totals of $870,000 over a four year period to assist the Department with Recruitment and Retention efforts for Firefighters and Paramedics. There are no cost match requirements or long term obligations for the City.

The grant provides funding for one Recruitment and Retention Officer to coordinate both recruitment and retention duties. This Officer will not have emergency response obligations. In addition to covering salary and benefit costs for this officer, the grant also includes funding for recruiting costs and equipment.  

The grant provides funding over the next four years to offset the costs of hiring new recruits; $104,000 for structural personal protective equipment valued at $4,000 per firefighter, $80,000 for medicals exams, $100,000 for training, $18,000 for new uniforms, and $16,000 for website development. 

“We intend to use these Federal funds very prudently as we continue working to provide the highest level of professional fire protection services to the La Habra Heights community,” says Fire Chief Doug Graft.

The grant award comes just days after the La Habra Heights Fire Department was rated in the top two percent of the 48,000 departments across the nation by the Insurance Services Office (ISO).  The organization upgraded the La Habra Heights Fire Department from a Class 5 ranking to a Class 2 effective September 1, 2016.  Areas included in the ISO evaluation included: 911 dispatch capability, Fire Department command staff, apparatus, automatic and mutual aid agreements, staffing levels, training, and fire prevention activities.  In addition, the water supply and fire hydrant system was evaluated.

Firefighters Respond to Sheared Fire Hydrant

On October 15, 2016, La Habra Heights Firefighters responded to a reported sheared fire hydrant. On arrival, firefighters found a fire hydrant which had been struck by an automobile, flowing like a geyser. The driver left the scene prior to the arrival of fire personnel.

Firefighters assisted the La Habra Heights Water District to shut down the fire hydrant. Fortunately, there was minimal damage to the surrounding properties.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's office is investigating the incident.

La Habra Heights Traffic Accident Sends Three to Hospital

On October 1, 2016 at 3 AM, La Habra Heights Firefighters responded to a head on traffic collision on Harbor Blvd near Kashlan Rd. Upon arrival La Habra Heights Firefighters found a two car traffic collision with three patients complaining of injury.



Firefighters used extrication tools to open the drivers door to remove the injured driver.

La Habra Heights Paramedics with AMR Ambulance transported two patients to UCI trauma center in fair condition.

Los Angeles County Fire Department assisted  the La Habra Heights Fire Department by providing patient care and transporting one patient to a local hospital in stable condition.

Harbor Blvd. remained closed for several hours.

L.A. County Emergency Mass Notification System

The La Habra Heights Fire Department encourages all residents to take advantage of the new Los Angeles County Emergency Alert System

Los Angeles County has implemented an emergency mass notification system that will be used to contact County residents and businesses via recorded phone messages, text messages or e-mail messages in case of emergency.

The system, called Alert LA County, will be used by the County’s Emergency Operations Center to notify residents and businesses of emergencies or critical situations and provide information regarding necessary actions, such as evacuations.

The system utilizes the telephone companies’ 911 database and is able to contact land-line telephone numbers, whether listed or unlisted.  If the call is picked up by an answering machine, the system will leave a recorded message.  If the number called is busy or does not answer, the system will redial the number in an attempt to deliver the message.  The system is also TTY/TDD compatible.

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Get Involved, La Habra Offers Free CERT Training

In a continuing effort to expand upon citizen involvement in public safety programs the City of La Habra Heights has been informed that the City of La Habra is offering free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

 

 

CERT training will develop a citizen’s disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. They will learn how to prepare for emergencies, what supplies to have, how much food and water, as well as how to protect their families in an emergency.

 

The next session will be on October 1st, 8th, and 15th. To sign up for the CERT training please contact La Habra’s Emergency Management Coordinator, David Gonzalez, at 562-383-4306 or dgonzalez@lahabraca.gov. 

In addition, citizens can also think about participating in the Great California Shakeout on October 20th. This event will help you and your family be more prepared to survive and recover quickly from California’s next big earthquake. For more information about participating please visit:  www.shakeout.org/California.