By james art 
An excavator is doing flood control work in the area of the fire burn scar. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County Department of Public Works crews are stepping up flood control efforts to protect communities in the wake of the bridge fire and the nearly contained line fire, officials said last week.
At the base of the fire, crews have installed a trash can to filter debris, which is designed to allow water to flow safely during storms. In Cook Canyon, crews are also installing an outlet pipe to channel possible runoff away from fire-damaged slopes to prevent soil erosion that causes landslides.
The San Bernardino County Flood Control District is working with Cal Fire, Fire Area Emergency Response Teams and California Watershed Emergency Response Teams to prepare for possible flooding in fire-ravaged areas that are now more vulnerable to floods and landslides, officials said. Public works crews are cleaning basins, canals and drainage ditches to prevent flooding, especially in fire-affected areas, and flood control officers are on standby 24/7 with equipment on site throughout the county for quick response.
On Oct. 28, public works officials decided at their winter coordination meeting to work with the Flood Control District to place “K-rail barriers” at strategic locations in the Baldy Mountain area. Crews have focused recent debris-clearing operations in the Highlands area.
Assistant Director of Public Works David Doublet emphasized the importance of ongoing maintenance.
“It is critical for us to capture the debris flow, remove it and prepare for the next storm,” Doublett said in a statement.
Crews from across the county are clearing and repairing flood control facilities, storm drains and basins, officials said. The county also expanded surveillance capabilities by strategically installing additional cameras in key parts of the burn scar. Currently, 86 cameras and rain gauges provide data to a dashboard that reports conditions in real time, giving fire monitors and officials a level of preparedness they did not have in 2010, when a sudden mudslide caused severe damage to homes in the East Highlands.
Public works officials urged residents to take precautions ahead of the first winter storms. Information on flood preparedness and debris flows is available on the county’s flood preparedness website, prepare.sbcounty.gov.