Fire chief says 215 median needs more attention

San Bernardino Fire Chief Michael Conrad said today that Monday's blazes "pretty much fireproofed" the stretch of the 215 median that burned Monday, but there's still work to be done to prevent fires along other portions of the freeway.

"I'm kind of hoping Caltrans will take the opportunity to put some crews in there and thin that stuff out," Conrad said in reference to vegetation growing north of where Monday's fire burned.

Monday, two fires burned along the 215 from Base Line to Mill Street. The flames destroyed a house and caused major damage to a storage business and a warehouse. The flames also damaged eight cars parked outside an auto repair shop and caused some damaged to a building where pool tables are manufactured.

Conrad said that in July 2007, city and Caltrans officials met to discuss fire risks posed by palm trees and other vegetation on the 215 meeting, but the plants were simply "left to die."

I'm working on a larger story on the subject for a future issue. I called Caltrans shortly before 4 p.m. and was told that a staffer able to comment on the subject will be in Thursday morning.

The Press Enterprise has also covered Monday's fires. That newspaper quoted Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Melgoza as saying vegetation "wasn't watered as much as possible" and that the highway agency would remove plants from the 215's median.