Siege Season

When the thirsty Santa Ana wind began howling out of the Mojave Des ert last week, sucking dry the trees and chaparral, Southern California was only a spark away from a disastrous fire.

Heavy spring rains had made the area lush with foliage, then a hot, rainless summer had turned the greenery to tinder. Arsonists and accidents provided the torch.

From the Mexican border to north of Los Angeles, throughout an arid strip 200 miles long, a series of fires raged for three days. Fueled by humidity as low as 1%, temperatures in the 90s and wind shrieking at 70 m.p.h., the fires blackened 109,068 acres, routed more than 5,000 people from their homes, killed five and caused at least $6,000,000 damage.

Worst of the blazes was in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles. Feeding on sere brush, the flames romped through cordons thrown up by 1,400 firemen and raced toward the wealthy residential areas of Lemon Heights, Cowan Heights, Villa Park and Orange Park Acres. Hundreds of residents were routed; 52 buildings were destroyed, most of them houses--some costing $100,000.

Other fires raged in San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. In all but three where the fires were caused by power lines downed in high winds or sparks from construction accidents, juveniles were under investigation for arson. The series of conflagrations was last month's second major outbreak in Southern California. Earlier, more than 80,000 acres were charred and 45 homes destroyed. With no rain in sight and the area's fire season extending from September to January, firemen were braced for the worst. Meanwhile, Governor Ronald Reagan promised he would ask a special session of the legislature "to consider legislation affording tax relief to fire-damage victims." It seemed the only kind of relief in store.

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