Firefighters urge vigilance

"We are also looking for the citizens to help us with 'Ready, Set, Go,' and also take responsibility for their own areas to help us so we can provide a better defense when the fire does arrive near their homes," Zagaris said.

Local fire officials have also begun inspections of homes in fire zones to ensure compliance with brush clearance rules. Most require hundreds of feet worth of cleared area around structures to create defensible space during a fire.

"When the bells go off, we will be there, and the services will be provided," Burbank Fire Chief Ray Krakowski said. "The citizenry are doing their part in prepping their properties."

The Glendale Fire Department began its annual brush-clearing program May 1 and has conducted its first round of inspections.

While the Station fire charred lots of brush in north Glendale and the surrounding foothills, plenty of vegetation remains in other high-risk neighborhoods, including Whiting Woods, Chevy Chase Canyon, Glenoaks Canyon and Sparr Heights, Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said.

"Those are areas we are very concerned with, and we always talk to the community about making sure that they aware of what is going on and being prepared," Scoggins said.

Property owners and residents who must maintain a defensible space around their homes receive a 30-day abatement notice. An extension may be granted if more time is needed.

Burbank and Glendale fire officials said their compliance rates have always been high.

"This vigilance is one of the major reasons no homes were lost in Glendale during the wildfires of 2009," Glendale Fire Capt. Vincent Rifino said.