Hot Times: To everything there is a...

Hot Times: To everything there is a season . . . and even the Fire Department has its day in the sun, as it were, with the start Friday of the official fire season. The Valley, said Inspector George Valenzuela of the brush clearance division, is especially vulnerable to summer blazes thanks to the area’s many semirural hillsides. . . .

What to Do: Residents of fire-prone areas should keep grasses and brush trimmed to just 3 inches high and should prune trees so that branches are at least 5 feet above the ground, Valenzuela said. Dead plants, branches or brush should be removed. These precautions should be taken within 100 feet of a building or 10 feet from a road. . . . Areas to watch include parts of Woodland Hills, Sunland-Tujunga, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, West Hills and Sylmar.

Miracle Girl: Burbank’s Daniella Fortuna, above right, was born with a growth on her face that threatened her vision and breathing. Now, the 10-year-old makes appearances for a fund-raising organization called the Children’s Miracle Network. . . . On Friday, she got to meet First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House.

Still Wanted: The FBI on Friday jumped into the fray over the cancellation of the popular Fox television series “America’s Most Wanted.” The bureau said the show “put a human face on crime” and saved lives. . . . During its eight-year run, more than 400 fugitives were arrested after their names were broadcast on the show--including a Van Nuys couple charged with killing a woman, allegedly to obtain her mint-condition auto.