Evacuations ordered in coastal blaze

Firefighters say steep terrain makes it tough to access the area.

Pacific Palisades fire leads to some Topanga Canyon residents being told to f lee.

A brush fire in Pacific Palisades flared up and grew to 750 acres on Saturday, sending a large plume of smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles and triggering the evacuation of some residents in Topanga Canyon, fire officials said.

The cause of the fire near Topanga State Park — which ignited around 10 p.m. on Friday — is still under investigation, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Fire personnel spotted a potential arson suspect early Saturday, but a search by the Sheriff ’s Department didn’t turn up anyone, Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.

The residents ordered to evacuate Saturday night were those living east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Topanga Community Center and Viewridge Road, as well as those north of

Entrada Road, south of Oakwood Drive and east of Henry Ridge Mountain Way.

Officials could not yet say how many homes in Topanga were being evacuated. There were no evacuation orders for L.A. residents as of 7 p.m.

The fire was burning at “a moderate rate” because of onshore winds, the L.A. Fire

Department said in an update around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Much of the area remained inaccessible to firefighters because of steep slopes and a lack of clear fire roads.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard was closed at Pacific Coast Highway and Mulholland Drive, the L.A. County Fire Department said.