This morning at 4:07 a fire was reported in the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, between the Wildlife Lake and the 405 Freeway, north of Burbank Blvd. The fire, which reportedly had multiple points of origin, ended up consuming approximately 20 acres of dense brush, with firefighters still on scene 6 hours later. The very welcome marine layer we had this morning unfortunately trapped the smoke, with many reports of smoke recorded.
The riparian vegetation along the Wildlife Lake, along with the California Native Plant Society restoration area were mostly spared from the fire. There were no injuries or infrastructure damage. This time. We can not always count on being lucky.
San Fernando Valley Audubon Society continues to urge the City of Los Angeles to immediately enforce its park rules which prohibit camping, storing items, starting fires, or even being present when the park is closed. This should include every square foot of the basin, including the LA River and Encino Creek. There have been 57 fires throughout the Sepulveda Basin since June 7, 2024 and most if not all are due to illegal activities. We thank Councilmember Padilla for requesting a review of the situation, recommendations, and formation of a working group to address this very dangerous public safety threat. Her motion has been approved by the City Council Public Safety Committee, we hope it moves with urgency to the entire council for approval and implementation.
