Growing fire forces resident evacuations
About 1,000 are told to vacate as blaze spreads to 1,325 acres in hilly terrain
About 1,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation and hundreds more were told to prepare to leave Sunday afternoon as firefighters for a third day battled the Palisades brush fire that by late afternoon had spread to 1,325 acres with zero containment.
Helicopters continued to conduct water-dropping operations as firefighters worked on the ground in steep, difficult terrain.
No injuries or damage to homes has been reported.
The fire, called suspicious, burned in dry vegetation that hadn’t burned in 50 years, the Los Angeles Fire Department said, adding crews were in place for structure defense if necessary.
Residents first reported seeing flames Friday around 10 p.m. near 1807 N. Michael Lane in Pacific Palisades. As weather conditions were favorable — high amounts of moisture in the air and low winds — the fire crawled overnight, charring 15 acres, authorities said.
By late Saturday afternoon, onshore winds pushed the fire forward, growing to 100 acres around 5 p.m. and then 750 acres with no containment two hours later.
The fire burned along
very steep slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains and in an area with no clear fire roads, making access for fire ground crews difficult and dangerous, said fire officials, who have relied largely on fire helicopters and tankers to keep flames from spreading.
“We can’t get our lines around it like most brush fires,” said Margaret Stewart, a city fire spokesperson.
The fire department estimated 1,000 people were evacuated by Sunday morning. Those evacuations were ordered in Zone 4 and Zone 6 in Los Angeles County.
Zone 4 is everyone east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard between the Community House and View Ridge Road, and Zone 6 is everyone north of Entrada, south of Oakwood Drive and east of the Henry Ridge Motorway.
Large animals can be taken to Pierce College Equestrian Center, at 6201 Winnetka Ave. in Woodland Hills. Small animals can be taken to the Agoura Animal Care Center, at 29525 Agoura Hills Road.
A new evacuation warning was issued at 2 p.m. Sunday for all homes north of Chastain Parkway in the 1500 block to Calle Del Cielo. The warning area includes Calle De Sarah, Calle Bellevista and all homes west of Calle Del Cielo and Ave Ashley up to the hills.
Because of the fire, the Topanga Elementary Charter School campus will be closed today because of air quality and safety concerns, Los Angeles Unified announced. Remote learning plans for students were in place.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continued to search for a person suspected of setting the brush fire, said Deputy Alejandra Parra.
“Members of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement
Bureau were searching for a person Saturday suspected of setting a brush fire that has now scorched about 750 acres and was flaring up in Pacific Palisades,”
Parra told NBC4.
The Los Angeles Fire Department on Sunday evening said arson investigators identified an individual who was detained and released, but “we now have a second individual that is being questioned.”
Topanga Canyon Boulevard was closed in both directions between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway until further notice due to firefighting activity. The right lane of southbound PCH was also closed between Temescal Canyon Road and Chautauqua Boulevard.
Air quality officials issued a smoke advisory through at least today because large amounts of smoke were billowing near homes in the area. Those smelling smoke or seeing ash are advised to limit exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed and avoiding vigorous physical activity.