There have been a few small brush fires throughout the Southland in the past week, and as we head into summer, the threat of more, and larger, blazes is imminent. To that end, local authorities are urging residents in brush-dense communities to take on the important task of clearing their properties in preparation for fire season. more ›

The hills have been lush with green this Spring, thanks to more rain than ever (okay, more rain than the past three years). But that means when things dry up this Summer, it's more fuel for a wildfire to burn through, according to the Daily News. 34,000 homes within Los Angeles are in brush areas and inspections to make sure homeowners have cleared land have already begun. In areas where the county works, some 40,000 homes are located in brush areas. more ›

The downed power line that caused the 14,000 acre Sesnon Fire was owned by the Southern California Gas Co., who are not regulated by the state's Public Utilities Commission, at least when it comes to power line regulations, the LA Times finds: "Commission rules require power lines owned by electric utilities to be inspected regularly and to have brush under the lines cleared to prevent fires. But commission spokesman Tom Hall told The Times that the rules don't extend to nonelectric utilities on private land." Looks like it's time to change the law. more ›