County of Los Angeles Fire Department
NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: FIRE CAPTAIN KEITH MORA
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE (323) 881-2413
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
FIRE CHIEF DARYL L. OSBY
1320 N. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90063
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: LACoFD
Public Information Office
(323) 881-2413
Los Angeles County Update Goldspotted Oak Borer Infestation
Los Angeles County, CA The Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB), an invasive beetle that has killed thousands of oak trees in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties since 2004, has now been detected in Los Angeles County. The GSOB was discovered in northern Los Angeles County in the unincorporated community of Green Valley. Because GSOB is transported in oak firewood, it is critical that Californians keep firewood local and not move it out of the area where it was cut.
This new detection of GSOB represents the third long-distance movement of the beetle from its known areas of infestation in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties. It is believed to have made the jump from the current zone of infestation to Los Angeles County through the movement of infested firewood. Any community that has coast live oaks, the most prevalent oak species in Los Angeles County, is vulnerable to a GSOB infestation. Some of the communities that could be impacted include Altadena, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, and Malibu.
The Fire Department, the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, and other County Departments are collaborating with University of California Cooperative Extension, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the US Forest Service to develop a response plan for GSOB in Los Angeles County. These infestations can be very costly to control and they have the potential to devastate our oak woodlands, our communities, and individual properties.
The County of Los Angeles and CAL FIRE will continue to coordinate with other agencies, adjacent counties, and other groups monitoring the GSOB in California until the infestation has been mitigated.
Some immediate steps that the public can take to prevent the spread of the GSOB include:
Buy it where you burn it, use firewood from local sources.
Leave firewood at home and do not transport firewood to recreational cabins, campgrounds, or parks.
Go to
www.gsob.org to learn more about the GSOB. Inspect cut wood and if infested, refer to
www.gsob.org for guidelines on reporting, management, and disposal.
If you suspect a GSOB infestation on your property, please contact the Department's Forestry Division at (323) 890-4330.
