Neighbors Map Out Fire Safety Plan; Santa Monica, CA

Neighbors Map Out Fire Safety Plan - Topanga Messenger Newspaper:
With a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean from Waveview Drive, it was hard to imagine a wildfire blazing through the verdant green hills and oak tree canopy. Yet, the threat is very real because the entire neighborhood backs up to Topanga State Park and has only one road in and out.
If a fire were to start in the Entrada area, the chances of survival are very slim considering a wind-driven fire travels about two miles per hour, and if you wait until the last minute to leave, it could take more than five hours to evacuate from the Canyon.
With only a steep, one-lane road providing entrance and egresss, a fire commander might think twice before sending his team up there. Once there, it is difficult to read obscure, hand-made address signs, know which houses have pools, or the location of water tanks and underground fire hydrants. And if the phones went out or the radio frequencies became clogged, how would you know what was going on?