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Fire official seeks improved access
Planners urged to move toward broader streets
| Thursday, Nov 15 2007 9:45 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Nov 15 2007 9:47 PM
When it comes to fighting a fire, the quicker the response times, the fewer the losses.
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But precious minutes are lost in areas that are harder to access, such as gated communities or on narrow streets make it hard for fire trucks to get where they need to go.
Dave Weirather, a fire plans examiner for the city's Fire Department, told members of the Bakersfield Planning Commission Thursday that he'd like to see more residential sprinklers and streets in developments kept as wide as possible.
Weirather's presentation covered fire conditions -- weather, fuels such as grass, brush and timber, and topography -- and suppression techniques, weeks after devastating blazes tore through Southern California.
The city's hillside ordinance has good fire protection provisions, he said. The light grasses on the foothills in the northeast burn hot and fast.
A grass fire can easily spread to brush or trees. If those fuels are nearby, wooden roofs, decks and fences can easily ignite.
So-called "noncombustible" construction materials can be misleading, Weirather said. Many homes that burned in Rancho Bernardo in San Diego County featured stucco and tile roofs.
Weirather said the city's water grid system is sound. But he emphasized the role static sources, such as lakes and ponds, play in water availability in firefighting, particularly if there were a big earthquake that damaged water pipes.
The good news is 100 percent of the city's traffic signals are wired with a system so fire crews can change signals at intersections, said Steve Walker, a traffic engineer with the Public Works Department.
In other business
The commission approved the following projects:
A two-year extension for 86 lots on about 56 acres in the Rio Bravo gated community requested by Rio Bravo Heights LLC. The extension for this tract map would expire July 5, 2009.
A tract map by S & S Homes of the Central Coast Inc. for 183 lots on the south side of Alfred Harrell Highway, on the east and west sides of Masterson Street.
A revised final tract map for SunCal Cos.' McAllister Ranch project in the southwest to fix boundary errors.
A subdivision by Centex Homes featuring 32 single-family lots on the north side of Taft Highway, between Stine and Ashe roads.