Park will bounce back

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The Griffith Park fire will help fire-prevention in the short term because there is less vegetation - or fuel for future fires, said Marty O’Toole, fire education and prevention specialist for the National Park Service.

‘But it won’t take more than a couple of years for the plants and grasses to grow back,’ he said.

The best way to prevent damage to people and homes is to clear the vegetation around their houses and to replace wood roofs.

‘That is more effective than just burning big swabs of open space,’ he said.

‘The ecosystem is designed to bounce back very quickly,’ O’Toole said. ‘The challenge is when we put people next to open spaces. Then their lives and property are in danger. … We are most concerned about public safety.’

-Anna Gorman