The danger of a brush fire sparking up is at its peak during red flag days, said Glendale Fire Department Capt. Bill Lynch.
The red flag warning came on the heels of twx o fires that charred acres of dry chaparral near Chatsworth and Burbank.
The latter blaze, named the Harvard fire, which could be seen in La Crescenta Friday afternoon, started above Wild Weed Canyon Park and Castaways restaurant in the Burbank hills the afternoon of Sept. 29.
Firefighters had it mostly under control that night night, but high winds fanned the flames, and they began burning up the steep terrain.
The National Incident Information Center reported it was 90-percent contained by Wednesday morning of this week. The cause is still under investigation, said Burbank Fire Department Battalion Chief Dave Starr.
"No structures were lost. We lost 1,1x 9x 0 acres of wild land," Starr said.
"Residents can attribute this extraordinary endeavor to the coordinated effort of firefighters from the surrounding fire agencies and brush clearance measures completed by the homeowners," the GFD's Lynch said.
His department recommends hillside homeowners clear brush at least 100 feet from their homes to give firefighters a defensible space, keeping structures as safe as possible during a fire.
He also recommends trimming trees back at least 10 feet from chimneys and houses, pruning dead branches, covering chimneys with wire mesh and making sure roofs are made of fire-resistant materials instead of wood shingles.
Lynch said wood shingles are one of the characteristics of older homes that makes them difficult to protect, as they are extremely flammable.
