December 27, 2016 at 6:00 PM. Hacienda Rd Closed at skyline

Hacienda Rd. in La Habra Heights will be closed starting at 6 PM at Skyline Dr. for several hours due to wires down across the roadway in several locations. Please use Harbor Blvd and Colima Road to avoid delays.

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.

Close Your Door At Night To Help The Fire Fight!

Preventing the spread of a fire throughout the house, especially at night will give you and your family the best chance of escaping unharmed. Keeping your bedroom door closed at night and closing doors when escaping a fire in your home will help prevent the spread of fire and buy the Firefighters some additional time to protect your home.

The La Habra Heights Fire Department encourages you to follow the advice of the fire safety professionals at the Firefighter Safety Research Institute

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.

La Habra Heights Pays Tribute to Firefighters killed in the 1955 "Hacienda Fire"

The La Habra Heights & Los Angeles County Fire Departments are dedicating a monument and plaque to the six firefighters who lost their lives on September 2, 1955, while fighting the “Hacienda Fire” in the City of La Habra Heights. The Dedication will be on January 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.

Lunch will be served after the ceremony at the La Habra Heights City Hall and Fire Station #1.

All are welcome! 

City Hall and Fire Station #1 are located at 1245 N. Hacienda Road La Habra Heights, CA 90631.

Preparing for Winter Storms with Sandbags

Even though the start of winter is right around the corner, La Habra Heights’ residents can pick up sandbags at the Fire Department or City all year round. The sandbags will need to be filled. Sand is available at the back parking lot at The Park. Residents will need to bring a shovel to fill bags. 

Sandbags, when properly filled and placed, will redirect storm and debris flows away from property improvements.

Filling

1. Fill sandbags one-half full. Sand is suggested if readily available; however, sand is not mandatory, and any local soil may be used.
2. For a more durable bag with increased effective life, mix 10 parts of sand or soil with one part of cement. The materials can be mixed and placed dry. After all bags are in place, a light sprinkling of water is recommended. This technique is only effective with burlap sandbags and will not work with plastic sandbags.

Placing

Fold top of sandbag down and rest bag on its folded top as shown in the illustration on the right.

It is important to place bags with the folded top toward the upstream or uphill direction to prevent bags from opening when water runs by them.

Stacking Sandbags

Care should be taken to stack sandbags in accordance with the illustrations. Place each sandbag as shown, completing each layer prior to starting the next layer. Limit placement to two layers unless a building is used as a backing or sandbags are pyramided (see illustrations below).

Sandbag Stacking Against Buildings

Pyramid Sandbag Stacking

Directing Debris Away From Buildings 

Limitations

1. Sandbags will not seal out water. 
2. Sand and soil filled burlap sandbags deteriorate when exposed for several months to continued wetting and drying. If bags are placed too early, they may not be effective when needed. 
3. Sandbags are basically for low-flow protection (up to two feet). Protection from higher flows requires a more permanent type of structure.

Controlling Debris or Storm Flows in Streets 

Directing Flows Between Buildings 

Building Protection

   Sliding Glass Door Sealing

                                                                      

Caution

Do not use straw or bales of hay in lieu of sandbags. They do not perform as well as sandbags and may be washed away.

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.