Oakridge Estates - Newbury Park
Where sunset arrives a bit early
Springs Fire Spares Oakridge Homes -- Kudos to Our Board
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| Tori 'embraces' the fire (See complete slideshow) |
The Springs Fire which started on May 2, 2013, is now history, but will be remembered for many years for creating great concern, even fear, among many Oakridge homeowners.
No damage to any Oakridge homes has been reported. Two factors that contributed to our escaping unscathed are:
- The winds: On the day of the fire, they blew to the west and south, slowing the fire's advance.
- Brush clearance: The city mandates that our Association perform 100 feet of brush clearance where our homes are adjacent to open space. This year the Association cleared the brush in April, three weeks before the fire!
One of the Oakridge homeowners whose home abutted against the open space told me, "I was never concerned. I just sat in my back yard, drank a Coke, and watched the fire come and go." In his front row seat he could see the wide cleared area that the fire, which was not wind-assisted, would have to jump to reach his property.
A 10-photo slideshow begins with a picture of the fire from October 1980, the last time this hill burned.