Usually a large fire gets its name from the point of origin, in this case, it started in the 10800 block of West La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley, on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. It raced up to Interstate 210 forcing the partial closure of that freeway for days. By that evening, the fire was estimated to be at 2,000 acres in size, and before it was done, it went to 7,194 acres, destroyed 5 homes, and made for a pretty miserable, but memorable, Labor Day holiday for all of us.

We were all caught in various modes of preparedness. What to take? Where do we go, do they take pets, big dogs, how, and when are we told to “get out?” We are a bit wiser, and hopefully are better prepared for whatever “Next Time”, will be.

One thing, one very BIG thing, was the outpouring of concern, support and absolute admiration for our emergency responders. Fire companies were called in across the Verdugos, and from Panorama City, Alhambra, Vernon, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, along with the Forest Service and Cal Fire. Before the command centers knew it, they were being inundated with mega-supplies of water, gatorade, food, eye drops, sun block, lip balm from every direction. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) carried those supplies to the very grateful crews up in the hills. As one CERT member said of his delivery of supplies to the firefighters: “They were hot, tired, and sweaty. However, when they saw us, they were like kids in a candy store especially since we brought along a variety of goodies each time.” The fire fighters were so very grateful to the community volunteering as they did to donate supplies and to work at the various fire command posts, from CERT’s bringing supplies and water to the crews, to the folks just going to the fire stations to organize the supplies and prepare the food for “easy retrieval.” Our police, who often spent 12 hours in the same place watching over our homes and our fire fighters, were so grateful to receive such attention from the community.

In the early days as the fire fighting unfolded, I don’t think any of us really understood to the degree our area would be endangered. Hansen Dam Recreational Area became the command post for all responders, command trucks, press briefings, supply post, and for communications vehicles. It becomes a small contained city as it was during the Station Fire in 2009. We watched helicopter after helicopter perform their maneuvers like acrobats in machines. Also having a DC10 fly right over your house so low you can almost tell the eye color of the pilot while they dropped that orange Phos-check onto the hills, made for very frightening, but unforgettable viewing.

Thank you to our fire fighters, our police and all those that volunteered. We are grateful, very, very grateful.

Ryan Ling, part of our Glencrest Hills community took some breathtaking shots during the fire since he is granted special access. Click to View


State Senator Portatino addressing the CA State Senate on Sept. 5, 2017.