Refugee
10-21-2007, 10:22 PM
More than a half-dozen wildfires driven by powerful Santa Ana winds spread across Southern California on Sunday, killing one person near San Diego, forcing hundreds to evacuate north of Los Angeles and destroying several homes and a church in celebrity-laden Malibu.
No details were immediately available about the death in San Diego County, but four firefighters and four other people were injured and taken to hospitals, said Roxanne Provaznik, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry.
The fire was among at least 10 blazes that burned more than 20,000 acres, stretching from north of Santa Barbara to San Diego, as hot weather and strong winds marked the height of the traditional wildfire season.
The fire responsible for the death and eight injuries burned about 2,500 acres near a highway about 70 miles southeast of San Diego. A second charred about 8,000 acres in northern San Diego County near an area that was ravaged by a pair of wildfires in 2003 and was threatening homes near Witch Creek, authorities said.
In northeastern Los Angeles County near Agua Dulce, a fire ran through 10,000 acres in just a few hours as about 250 firefighters tried to get a handle on the flames. Authorities said 10 buildings were destroyed, but couldn't say how many of them were homes. Between 500 and 800 people were evacuated and three people were injured, authorities said.
Meanwhile, in Malibu, about 700 firefighters worked to protect hundreds of homes in several upscale communities nestled in the hills, officials said. About 1,500 people have been evacuated, officials said.
The blaze, which started in Malibu Canyon, had charred at least 1,200 acres and destroyed a church and several homes, one of them a landmark castle. No residents or firefighters were injured, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said.
The winds carried embers across the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in the parking lot of a shopping center where a supermarket, drug store and other shops were damaged.
TV footage showed several buildings in flames in the area, including clusters of beach-side homes.
"This fire is zero percent contained, which means we're at the mercy of the wind," acting Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said.
In all, five homes and two commercial buildings had been confirmed lost throughout the Malibu area, Freeman said. Nine more homes were damaged, he said.
The fire is expected to burn for another two to three days, he said. Until the blaze is extinguished, "there will literally be thousands of homes that will be threatened at one time or another," he said.
Fire crews early Sunday found downed power lines, which may have started the fire, Capt. Mike Brown said.
Late Sunday morning, palm trees bent in half and embers were carried through the air as winds gusted to 60 to 65 mph. Thick smoke obscured the sun.
Susan Nuttall sat in her black Mercedes in a cul-de-sac just off the Pacific Coast Highway, saying she had fled her condo just below Pepperdine University.
"We're all scared to death, and we have nowhere to go," said Nuttall, 51, still wearing a bathrobe and holding her Chihuahua.
Flames also consumed the landmark Castle Kashan, a stately fortress-like home with turrets and arched windows, as about a dozen residents watched from across a street. Chunks of brick fell from the exterior of the burning building overlooking the coast.
Erratic wind gusts hampered efforts to drop water from aircraft and pushed flames toward HRL Laboratories, a research and engineering facility jointly owned by Boeing Co. and General Motors Corp. about a mile north of Pepperdine. One outbuilding caught fire, Boeing spokeswoman Diana Ball said.
Flames engulfed Malibu Presbyterian Church, which had been evacuated, said youth pastor Eric Smith. "That's the really good news, that everyone's out and safe," Smith said.
Faculty and staff at the 830-acre Pepperdine campus had been urged to evacuate in the morning and students were instructed to gather in the school's cafeteria and basketball arena.
But by early afternoon, the campus was "secure," Freeman said. Flames were no longer visible in the hills around the school and that power to the campus had been restored, Pepperdine spokesman Jerry Derloshon said.
About 200 homes had been evacuated in the communities of Malibu Colony, Puerco Canyon, Monte Nido and Sweetwater Canyon, Brown said.
Other wildfires burning in Southern California included:
_ Firefighters were focused on protecting Piru, a Ventura County town of 1,200 people across a small lake from the 1,500-acre blaze. A condor preserve was also potentially threatened.
_ Also in Ventura County, crews mopped up a wildfire that burned 35 acres of brush in a rural area near Moorpark. One home had damage to its roof but no injuries were reported.
_ More than 450 acres had burned five miles northeast of Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County. No homes had been destroyed or damaged, but fire officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for the Woodstock neighborhood.
_ Three fires burned in San Bernardino County. The largest was 300 acres near Interstate 15 in Fontana. One vacant home was destroyed and 500 homeowners were told they should evacuate. The second blaze had burned about 30 acres near the junction of Interstate 15 and 215 in Devore. Five to 10 homes were threatened. Another fire had chewed through 35 acres south of the highway junction and winds were blowing between 50 mph and 80 mph, officials said.
_ A blaze that burned around 25 acres was stamped out in an unpopulated canyon area in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley. Downed power lines were found in the area, but officials didn't know if they had caused the blaze.
No details were immediately available about the death in San Diego County, but four firefighters and four other people were injured and taken to hospitals, said Roxanne Provaznik, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry.
The fire was among at least 10 blazes that burned more than 20,000 acres, stretching from north of Santa Barbara to San Diego, as hot weather and strong winds marked the height of the traditional wildfire season.
The fire responsible for the death and eight injuries burned about 2,500 acres near a highway about 70 miles southeast of San Diego. A second charred about 8,000 acres in northern San Diego County near an area that was ravaged by a pair of wildfires in 2003 and was threatening homes near Witch Creek, authorities said.
In northeastern Los Angeles County near Agua Dulce, a fire ran through 10,000 acres in just a few hours as about 250 firefighters tried to get a handle on the flames. Authorities said 10 buildings were destroyed, but couldn't say how many of them were homes. Between 500 and 800 people were evacuated and three people were injured, authorities said.
Meanwhile, in Malibu, about 700 firefighters worked to protect hundreds of homes in several upscale communities nestled in the hills, officials said. About 1,500 people have been evacuated, officials said.
The blaze, which started in Malibu Canyon, had charred at least 1,200 acres and destroyed a church and several homes, one of them a landmark castle. No residents or firefighters were injured, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said.
The winds carried embers across the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in the parking lot of a shopping center where a supermarket, drug store and other shops were damaged.
TV footage showed several buildings in flames in the area, including clusters of beach-side homes.
"This fire is zero percent contained, which means we're at the mercy of the wind," acting Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said.
In all, five homes and two commercial buildings had been confirmed lost throughout the Malibu area, Freeman said. Nine more homes were damaged, he said.
The fire is expected to burn for another two to three days, he said. Until the blaze is extinguished, "there will literally be thousands of homes that will be threatened at one time or another," he said.
Fire crews early Sunday found downed power lines, which may have started the fire, Capt. Mike Brown said.
Late Sunday morning, palm trees bent in half and embers were carried through the air as winds gusted to 60 to 65 mph. Thick smoke obscured the sun.
Susan Nuttall sat in her black Mercedes in a cul-de-sac just off the Pacific Coast Highway, saying she had fled her condo just below Pepperdine University.
"We're all scared to death, and we have nowhere to go," said Nuttall, 51, still wearing a bathrobe and holding her Chihuahua.
Flames also consumed the landmark Castle Kashan, a stately fortress-like home with turrets and arched windows, as about a dozen residents watched from across a street. Chunks of brick fell from the exterior of the burning building overlooking the coast.
Erratic wind gusts hampered efforts to drop water from aircraft and pushed flames toward HRL Laboratories, a research and engineering facility jointly owned by Boeing Co. and General Motors Corp. about a mile north of Pepperdine. One outbuilding caught fire, Boeing spokeswoman Diana Ball said.
Flames engulfed Malibu Presbyterian Church, which had been evacuated, said youth pastor Eric Smith. "That's the really good news, that everyone's out and safe," Smith said.
Faculty and staff at the 830-acre Pepperdine campus had been urged to evacuate in the morning and students were instructed to gather in the school's cafeteria and basketball arena.
But by early afternoon, the campus was "secure," Freeman said. Flames were no longer visible in the hills around the school and that power to the campus had been restored, Pepperdine spokesman Jerry Derloshon said.
About 200 homes had been evacuated in the communities of Malibu Colony, Puerco Canyon, Monte Nido and Sweetwater Canyon, Brown said.
Other wildfires burning in Southern California included:
_ Firefighters were focused on protecting Piru, a Ventura County town of 1,200 people across a small lake from the 1,500-acre blaze. A condor preserve was also potentially threatened.
_ Also in Ventura County, crews mopped up a wildfire that burned 35 acres of brush in a rural area near Moorpark. One home had damage to its roof but no injuries were reported.
_ More than 450 acres had burned five miles northeast of Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County. No homes had been destroyed or damaged, but fire officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for the Woodstock neighborhood.
_ Three fires burned in San Bernardino County. The largest was 300 acres near Interstate 15 in Fontana. One vacant home was destroyed and 500 homeowners were told they should evacuate. The second blaze had burned about 30 acres near the junction of Interstate 15 and 215 in Devore. Five to 10 homes were threatened. Another fire had chewed through 35 acres south of the highway junction and winds were blowing between 50 mph and 80 mph, officials said.
_ A blaze that burned around 25 acres was stamped out in an unpopulated canyon area in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley. Downed power lines were found in the area, but officials didn't know if they had caused the blaze.