Fire season is back-and the smell of smoke in the air and the sound of helicopters drumming overhead. When there's a blaze, the layer of ash that falls on your car isn't the end of the world, but a signal that things could get bad.

Fire season must be taken seriously. People have paid for their nonchalance with injury and loss of property.

Yesterday a fire started at the ridge between Chatsworth and Rocky Peak Road and roared into Simi Valley. Decisive action on the part of local fire, sheriff 's and police departments helped keep residents safe.

Last week a pair of fires also hit the Westlake area and left residents with jangled nerves. Although more than 200 acres burned, the blazes never got out of hand and homes remained safe, thanks to the swift work of our firefighters.

Protect your home and property by following the fire department's rules on proper brush clearance:

+Remove flammable vegetation and other combustible growth within 30 feet of any structures.

+Remove or trim all vegetation that is within 10 feet of chimneys, roads and driveways.

+Leave space between shrubs and trees to prevent fire spread. Avoid continuous tree or brush canopies.

+Tree crowns should not overhang the roof and should be pruned high enough to avoid ignition by a ground fire.

If you can't do the work yourself, hire a brush clearance specialist.

In addition to doing the yard chores, identify two exit routes from your neighborhood and have an emergency plan ready in case you must quickly leave.

This week, local residents observed the fires from a safe distance. Robert Berger noticed the start of the Simi blaze and called the information in to The Acorn offices. He followed up by sending us a photograph of what he saw.

While Thursday's fire wasn't nearly as serious as the Simi blaze two years ago, it reminded us that it's important to be prepared. Hopefully, we've learned.