Crowd expresses anger and distust at Station Fire meeting, slow pace of answers

Almost two years later, anger remains about the National Forest Service's  handling of Station Fire's early hours, and now those who were affected by the fire are continuing to be angered at the slow pace of the investigation into answers.

That was the mood of the crowd at Congressman Adam Schiff's Station Fire Update meeting Thursday morning at the Altadena Library.  Around 70 people attended the meeting -- and, by a show of hands, about a dozen said that they'd lost homes in the fire.

Schiff's panel included (pictured, left to right) Schiff; Stephen Gaty from the Government Accountability Office, National Resources and Environment team; Tom Harbour, director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service;  and Marty Dumpis, deputy forest supervisor of the Angeles National Forest.

Among the contentious topics was the balky response by the Forest Service in the earliest hours of the fire.  Harbour said that the forest service, which has not sanctioned night flying for firefighters, is now working with Los Angeles County which can supply helicopters for nightime drops.

The forest service spokespeople couldn't give direct answers as to why -- even if there is a policy against night flying -- firefighting aircraft didn't start at dawn the day after the start of the fire.

But several in the audience -- residents of the Stoneyvale area in Big Tujunga Canyon, many of whom lost their homes -- were not only concerned about the gaffes in fighting the fire, but the slow pace of the government's investigation and their distrust of the Forest Service.

Burt Vorhees, a Stoneyvale resident whose home is still intact,  said that "lies get told repeatedly by the forest service."

Gaty, who is leading the investigation effort called for by Schiff and other California representatives, said that  a full report likely wouldn't be available until the end of the year. 

Also during the meeting, it was announced that about 90,000 closed acres should be opened up this year, and Angeles Crest Highway may be open by Memorial Day.