1 Defendant Sentenced In Corral Canyon Fire, 4 more to go

Thursday, February 19, 2009

1 Defendant Sentenced In Corral Canyon Fire, 4 more to go

A man who helped set the Corral Canyon fire that destroyed 53 Malibu homes and injured six firefighters in November 2007 was sentenced today to five years probation and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.

Brian David Franks, 28, was also banned from returning to the Corral Canyon area while he is on probation. Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Leslie Dunn also required Franks to perform brush-clearance work as part of his community service hours.

Franks pleaded no contest Oct. 1 to a felony charge of recklessly causing a fire. As part of his plea deal, Franks agreed to be available to testify against the other four defendants in the case.

Brian Alan Anderson, 23, and William Thomas Coppnck, 24, were ordered last month to stand trial on one count each of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury and recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure.

The criminal complaint includes the allegation that the crimes were committed "during and within an area of a state of emergency."

Co-defendants Eric Matthew Ullman, 19, and Dean Allen Lavorante, 20, are due back in court later this month, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for them to stand trial on the same charges.

Authorities allege that the men went to a cave and notorious party spot on state park land overlooking Malibu to drink alcohol with girls and have a campfire when the area was under a red flag warning because of high winds and low humidity.

The Nov. 24, 2007, wildfire consumed 53 homes and severely damaged 23 others.

Franks was due to be sentenced last month, but the hearing was delayed because of a flier that was circulated around Malibu that provided the wrong court date. Dunn agreed to postpone the hearing so Malibu residents could speak at Franks' sentencing.

Several residents spoke during today's hearing, describing the devastation the fire caused in their neighborhoods.

Source: CBS2 - Link

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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Thursday, February 19, 2009