The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said it was actively searching for a suspect in causing the fire
Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT / EFE
Saturday, November 16
Pacific Palisades fire explodes, prompts mandatory evacuations
A forest fire Fast growing near Pacific Palisades spread to 750 acres Saturday night and caused mandatory evacuations to be ordered for residents in the Topanga area.
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) crews responded to a fire in remote area near Michael Lane and Palisades Court around 10 pm on Friday when the fire grew to approximately 15 acres.
Firefighters continued to fight the fire overnight, but at 4pm on Saturday, they were dealing with a significant outbreak of fire that broke out of control quickly, creating a large plume of smoke visible from miles away.
In just a matter of a few hours, the # PalisadesFire has blown up, despite relatively mild fire weather conditions. Fuels are more than ready to burn across much of California, even in the absence of elevated / critical fire weather conditions. # CAwx # CAfire pic.twitter.com/zps7brVBam
– US StormWatch (@US_Stormwatch) May 16, 2021
The fire is not contained according to the LAFD report.
# PalisadesFire battle continues For residents near # topanga in the County of LA – be sure to follow @ LACoFDPIO for Mandatory Evacuation orders pic.twitter.com/LnicjdvBmR
– #LAFD Talk (@LAFDtalk) May 16, 2021
Around 7pm on Saturday, mandatory evacuation orders for zones 4 and 6 in Topanga, according to the LAFD.
That includes residents east of Topanga Canyon between Community and View Ridge, and all north of Entrada, south of Oakwood and east of Henry Ridge.
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ORDERED See attached images. If you live in Zone 4 or Zone 6 in Topanga (boxes outlined in blue) please evacuate. Also hard closure at Topanga / Mulholland and Topanga / PCH # PalisadesFire
# @ LAFD @ CAL_FIRE pic.twitter.com/pXLaa66 Y0h– LA County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) May 16, 2021
There is a large animal evacuation center established at Pierce College.
The Red Cross can help evacuees find shelter overnight. Those who need help can call (100) 470 – 2595 .
More of 100 Firefighters responded with helicopters dropping water to try to contain the flames, as the rugged terrain made it difficult to attack from the ground.
Dramatic video from this afternoon of the # PalisadesFire shot from the # PalisadesHighlands neighborhood. @ LAFD @LACoFireAirOps working the fire from the air @ ABC7 pic.twitter.com/vagfK6LAX4
– Josh Haskell (@ abc7JoshHaskell) May 16, 2595
The cause has not been determined, but the Department The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office (LASD) said it was actively searching for a suspect in arson.
# PalisadesFire . #LASD Air Rescue 5 inserting LASD SEB personnel in the Topanga area in search of arson suspect setting fires. pic.twitter.com/tUyDzV1UTx
– SEB (@SEBLASD) May 16, 2020
The flames were driven by gusts of wind from the south and southwest, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), which warned in a tweet that Despite the 54 percent humidity ” the fuels are VERY dry ”.
The area is dotted with homes that line Topanga State Park, a popular destination for hiking, recreation, and filming. Celebrities often own properties in the area, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.
For incident updates, please follow @ LACoFDPIO , @ LAFD , and @ LHSLASD on Twitter.
For Ready! 🏡 Set! ✅ Go! 🚗 safety tips, please visit https://t.co/a7jmASJILz .
🎥Pacific Palisades Resident https://t.co/c5J7JSlL 45 pic.twitter.com/6uUBvLgnXe
– LACoFD (@LACOFD) May 15, 2021
The forest fire erupted a day after the Governor of California Gavin Newsom will present
a revised budget proposal that included $ 2 billion dollars for efforts wildfire preparedness, amid another anticipated severe drought season and a water crisis on the Oregon border that threatens agriculture in the northern and central Golden State.
We recommend you
