The mayors of Whittier, La Habra and La Habra Heights got an overview of the area between and around the Puente Hills and Powder Canyon on Friday, courtesy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Mayor Joe Vinatieri of Whittier said the 30-minute reconnaissance offered the city leaders a great view of the immenseness of the Puente Hills and the enormity of work ahead for cities working to prevent a wildfire such as those that raged in Eaton Canyon and Pacific Palisades in January.

“The whole Puente Hills, from Diamond Bar all the way to the west end of the hills in the 605 freeway, if a fire starts in the Rowland Heights are and it blows westbound at more than 60 miles per hour, it will find its way to mane of the communities on the edge of the hills,” Vinatieri said. “That’s why fire protection is not just a Whittier issue, it is regional in nature.”

Accompanying Vinatieri were Rose Espinoza, mayor of La Habra, and John Pespisa, mayor of La Habra Heights. They were joined on the flyover by Jon O’Brien, chief deputy, emergency operations for the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Ron Durbin, forestry division chief for the fire department.

The meet-up comes on the heels of the release of updated fire risk maps for California on March 24, which saw an increase in area designated within the fire zones, from moderate, high and very high, in Whittier. La Habra Heights, meanwhile, is examining the areas already in the high fire severity zones according to CalFire’s previous map released in 2011, and noting some sections of the city had its risk downgraded while some sections fell out of the map entirely.

The designations seem more surgical in La Habra Heights, Pespisa said. “La Habra Heights is a city embedded in high fire zones.”

Pespisa said the new maps underscore preparations his city is already making, such as completing risk-managed field maintenance and hardening of evacuation routes.

The La Habra Heights mayor works as director of operational compliance for Southern California Edison, and said he was part of incident command team deployed by the company to the Eaton Fire. Lessons learned there, he said, informs policies for aggressive brush fire clearance, stricter code enforcement and the shortening of compliance times for property owners in the high and very high hazard zones.

“We’re also going to aggressively clean up clutter impacting defensible space,” Pespisa said.

The flyover included views of the 8,000-gallon heli-hydrant in La Habra Heights, stationed at the city’s highest point three years ago to provide fire-fighting helicopters with quick pickup of clean water, as well as the future location of one in Whittier.

The mayors also took in an aerial view of the nature preserve under the management of the Puente Hills Habitat Authority, which includes about 3,870 acres of preserved public space in Whittier and La Habra Heights as well as part of Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights.

“The Puente Hills has seen two years of growth that now stands five to eight feet tall, and it’s a fire trap,” Vinatieri said. “It’s going to be difficult, but it’s a new day thinking about fire. We’re going to be on it. By the time summer season comes, we’re going to be in process and not just talking. I hope this is the beginning of a regional effort.”

O’Brien advised the leaders that much of the area they flew over may look lush and green on top, but “down below it is just nothing but an understory of kindling, meaning dead brush that’s waiting to burn. And so really part of it comes in the fuel mitigation side, getting some of that thinned out.”

O’Brien said brush thinning can be done mechanically, with crews, or with goats, as well as with prescribed fire. The idea is to create.a patchwork that doesn’t allow fire to get a lot of space to run.

“That’s a major concern for our area because there’s a lot of old growth that hasn’t been touched in years and it’s all underneath,” he said.

The first thing property owners can do to prevent another Eaton Fire, which killed 18, destroyed more than 9000 structures and caused between $7 to $10 billion, is home hardening.

O’Brien said this can start with simple steps, such as installing mesh or dormer vents on all attic vents, raising foundation vents and installing double-paned windows.

A requirement to create a Zone Zero, or a five-foot ember resistant area around a house, may not be too popular with homeowners, but it is essential to wildfire resilience, O’Brien said.

Kelly Berkompas is co-founder of BrandGuard Vents in Lake Forest. She said reducing wildfire risk is a mix of personal responsibility and community collaboration.

“On the home level, it’s important to create defensible space, especially in the zone that is 0-5ft. around the home, clearing dry brush, trimming trees back from roofs, removing dead plants and keeping gutters and roofs free of debris. These are simple steps that can dramatically slow the spread of fire,” she said.

Attic and foundation vents act as wide-open windows during fires, so installing vents that block embers, heat and flames is important.

“Standard, unprotected mesh vents account for about 80% of home ignitions during a wildfire,” Berkompas said. “It’s not about fear, it’s about preparation. By combining smart home upgrades with strong community action, we can give ourselves and our neighbors a real chance against wildfire.”

The three city leaders agreed they need to work together to address wildfire preparedness, within their councils, with the Habitat Authority, and Los Angeles County agencies.

“The hills are beautiful, but we have to be wise,” Vinatieri said.