John Wilson’s August 9 article urges people to clear the brush around their houses, saying “Do it before some nut starts playing with matches in the hills above you.” The nuts are already there, playing with their matches. Just today I found three cigarette butts at different places on the Temescal Loop trail that weren’t there four days before.
Ron Dean
(Editor’s Note: We contacted Wilson about the cigarettes and he responded, “Smoking in brush areas is covered by the California Fire Code Section 310.8. It is an absolute prohibition after a declaration is made of high fire danger. That declaration has been made. This statute is limited to areas where smoking could cause a fire. Smoking includes cigars, pipes, or any other device that burns tobacco or other substances. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has its own regulations which impose a $541 fine for smoking in an MRCA-managed land area.)
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