Refugee
10-21-2007, 05:07 PM
A church, two businesses and three homes have been destroyed this morning in an exclusive Malibu neighborhood as brushfires fueled by whipping Santa Ana winds raged down Malibu Canyon to the sea and fire officials said they expect the blazes to continue for at least several days.
At least 1,000 acres have burned and the city of Malibu issued mandatory evacuation notices for more than 200 residents in Puerco and Sweetwater canyons and Malibu Colony. The brushfires were raging in an area north of Pacific Coast Highway and about one mile west of Pepperdine University.
Officials were warning residents along the beach on Malibu Road that they may soon be evacuated, as they braced for the potential that the fire could jump Pacific Coast Highway.
Residents in those areas are advised to head to the west, and evacuation centers were set up at Zuma Beach and Agoura Hills High School.
Details of the houses that were burned was not available, but officials said Malibu Presbyterian Church on Malibu Canyon Road had burned.
Officials also said Castle Kashan, a faux castle built in the 1970s also burned. The castle is the home of Lilly Lawrence, a Malibu philanthropist.
LA County fire Capt. Mike Brown said about 500 personnel in the air and on the ground were battling the blazes, with nearly 1,000 more en route to help battle the fires.
Embers from the fires were igniting trees - and at least one car - as they were pushed by the wind throughout the area.
Fire officials said at a noon press conference that the fire was uncontained and they project it will continue to several days - "threatening thousands of homes" - because of the sustained winds.
Fire officials said at least two businesses and three homes were destroyed. At least nine other homes were damaaged and four businesses in the Colony Shopping Center, they said.
Firefighters from as far away as Montebello and Long Beach were called in to fight the blaze that had burned about 1,000 acres by 12:30 p.m.
LA County Fire Capt. Mike Brown said 500 personnel were deployed in the air and on the ground to fight the blazes.
Brown said no injuries have been reported.
The fire had burned three miles from its point of ignition to Pacific Coast Highway. Trees at the Malibu Colony Shopping Center were reportedly on fire, and the fire has burned down to Bluffs Park.
The blaze was apparently sparked by power lines that fell along Malibu Canyon Road, as 60 mile per-hour-hour winds raked the area overnight.
The fire is burning in two prongs on both sides of Malibu Canyon. The eastern prong was within several hundred feet of numerous multi-million dollar houses in Serra Estates.
The western prong began in rough mountains north of Hughes Research Laboratory and headed toward Pepperdine University. Students at Pepperdine have been moved into the cafeteria in the central section of the campus.
Power in much of Malibu was reportedly out, and Pacific Coast Highway is closed between Kanan-Dume Road and Topanga Canyon Road.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles city firefighters said they expected full containment of a three- to five-acre brush fire today in the Porter Ranch area.
That fire broke out in the area of Tampa Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard at 5:50 a.m., said Los Angeles city fire spokesperson Ron Myers.
At least 100 fire personnel were sent to the scene. No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered as firefighters contend with 20 to 30 miles winds blowing in a northeasterly direction.
The fires are being fanned by high winds and the National Weather Service has issued red-flag warnings for Los Angeles and Ventura counties from 3 a.m. today through 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The hot dry northeast winds are expected to blow at up to 80 mph through mountain passes, with gusts up to 65 mph on the flats, diminishing in the afternoons.
Temperatures are expected to soar from 10 and 20 degrees above normal, with the mercury Tuesday pushing 100.
On Saturday, blowing sand and dust forced the California Highway Patrol to close two freeways in the Antelope Valley, where drivers had zero visibility.
Fierce west winds forced officers to close the Antelope Valley Freeway near Lancaster at 3:15 p.m., leaving four miles of asphalt closed.
To the north, Route 58 was closed to all traffic between Mojave and Tehachapi Pass because of more blowing dust.
About 30 miles to the west, winds of 55 mph were blamed for a four-car crash that blocked the southbound lanes of the Golden State Freeway south of the Grapevine. No serious injuries were reported.
Surf up to 15 feet was expected to pummel beaches in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department on Saturday added firefighters, dispatched strike teams and put its dozen helicopters on high alert.
Two Erikson Aircrane helicopters, two fixed-wing Super Scoopers and a firefighting DC-10 were also at the ready.
Residents in brush areas were warned to report any sign of smoke, use caution with equipment in grassy areas and have an evacuation plan - with at least two exit routes - in place.
At 8 a.m. today, parking restrictions will go into effect in fire-prone areas of Los Angeles because of the conditions.
At least 1,000 acres have burned and the city of Malibu issued mandatory evacuation notices for more than 200 residents in Puerco and Sweetwater canyons and Malibu Colony. The brushfires were raging in an area north of Pacific Coast Highway and about one mile west of Pepperdine University.
Officials were warning residents along the beach on Malibu Road that they may soon be evacuated, as they braced for the potential that the fire could jump Pacific Coast Highway.
Residents in those areas are advised to head to the west, and evacuation centers were set up at Zuma Beach and Agoura Hills High School.
Details of the houses that were burned was not available, but officials said Malibu Presbyterian Church on Malibu Canyon Road had burned.
Officials also said Castle Kashan, a faux castle built in the 1970s also burned. The castle is the home of Lilly Lawrence, a Malibu philanthropist.
LA County fire Capt. Mike Brown said about 500 personnel in the air and on the ground were battling the blazes, with nearly 1,000 more en route to help battle the fires.
Embers from the fires were igniting trees - and at least one car - as they were pushed by the wind throughout the area.
Fire officials said at a noon press conference that the fire was uncontained and they project it will continue to several days - "threatening thousands of homes" - because of the sustained winds.
Fire officials said at least two businesses and three homes were destroyed. At least nine other homes were damaaged and four businesses in the Colony Shopping Center, they said.
Firefighters from as far away as Montebello and Long Beach were called in to fight the blaze that had burned about 1,000 acres by 12:30 p.m.
LA County Fire Capt. Mike Brown said 500 personnel were deployed in the air and on the ground to fight the blazes.
Brown said no injuries have been reported.
The fire had burned three miles from its point of ignition to Pacific Coast Highway. Trees at the Malibu Colony Shopping Center were reportedly on fire, and the fire has burned down to Bluffs Park.
The blaze was apparently sparked by power lines that fell along Malibu Canyon Road, as 60 mile per-hour-hour winds raked the area overnight.
The fire is burning in two prongs on both sides of Malibu Canyon. The eastern prong was within several hundred feet of numerous multi-million dollar houses in Serra Estates.
The western prong began in rough mountains north of Hughes Research Laboratory and headed toward Pepperdine University. Students at Pepperdine have been moved into the cafeteria in the central section of the campus.
Power in much of Malibu was reportedly out, and Pacific Coast Highway is closed between Kanan-Dume Road and Topanga Canyon Road.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles city firefighters said they expected full containment of a three- to five-acre brush fire today in the Porter Ranch area.
That fire broke out in the area of Tampa Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard at 5:50 a.m., said Los Angeles city fire spokesperson Ron Myers.
At least 100 fire personnel were sent to the scene. No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered as firefighters contend with 20 to 30 miles winds blowing in a northeasterly direction.
The fires are being fanned by high winds and the National Weather Service has issued red-flag warnings for Los Angeles and Ventura counties from 3 a.m. today through 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The hot dry northeast winds are expected to blow at up to 80 mph through mountain passes, with gusts up to 65 mph on the flats, diminishing in the afternoons.
Temperatures are expected to soar from 10 and 20 degrees above normal, with the mercury Tuesday pushing 100.
On Saturday, blowing sand and dust forced the California Highway Patrol to close two freeways in the Antelope Valley, where drivers had zero visibility.
Fierce west winds forced officers to close the Antelope Valley Freeway near Lancaster at 3:15 p.m., leaving four miles of asphalt closed.
To the north, Route 58 was closed to all traffic between Mojave and Tehachapi Pass because of more blowing dust.
About 30 miles to the west, winds of 55 mph were blamed for a four-car crash that blocked the southbound lanes of the Golden State Freeway south of the Grapevine. No serious injuries were reported.
Surf up to 15 feet was expected to pummel beaches in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department on Saturday added firefighters, dispatched strike teams and put its dozen helicopters on high alert.
Two Erikson Aircrane helicopters, two fixed-wing Super Scoopers and a firefighting DC-10 were also at the ready.
Residents in brush areas were warned to report any sign of smoke, use caution with equipment in grassy areas and have an evacuation plan - with at least two exit routes - in place.
At 8 a.m. today, parking restrictions will go into effect in fire-prone areas of Los Angeles because of the conditions.