Three years after the Station fire denuded the hills above La Cañada Flintridge, a federal agency has determined that important earth-holding vegetation has recovered to the point that bulky concrete barriers put in place to protect homes from mudflows are no longer needed.
The barriers, known as K-rails, were installed in 2010 one year after mudflows ravaged hillside properties when rains hit the Station fire burn area with nothing to hold the topsoil in place. But three years later, the barriers have started to outstay their welcome among residents who say they’re ugly and creating their own set of driving hazards.
Representatives with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, together with La Cañada Public Works Director Edward Hitti, surveyed four neighborhoods on April 16 at the request of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).
Two days later, Hudson Minshew, a district conservationist with the federal agency, sent a letter to Schiff stating that the area had improved since their last visit in May 2012. As a result, he said, the K-rails and the extra protection they afford are no longer needed.
