Malibu Corral Canyon Fire - Pictures of the latest Malibu fire - A huge wildfire burned 20 homes in the Corral Canyon area and is threatening hundreds more as the fire burns toward the Pacific Ocean.
The Fire Department reports that the latest Malibu fire is approximately 1600 acres. Of the 20 homes have been destroyed, many of them are in the Newell Canyon area.
As the Corral Canyon fire sweeps downhill toward the Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Ana wind gusts of up to 75 mph are fueling its rapid advance.
The Pacific Coast Highway is closed between Malibu Canyon Road and Kanan Road.  All canyon roads between Malibu Canyon and Kanan are also closed.Â
Officials said the blaze began shortly before 3:30 a.m. PST in an area near Malibu Lake and was burning downhill. About 300 firefighters are battling the Corral Canyon fire, aided by four water-dropping helicopters.
No injuries have been reported, but property damage is much heavier than during the October 2007 Malibu fire.
Inspector Sam Padilla of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said hundreds of residents were being evacuated and that the fire was at 0 percent containment as of 8:00 am PST.
“With 100 mph winds fanning it, it’s like a blowtorch with a hair dryer behind it blowing at you,” Padilla said.
And that’s the pictures and the latest news updates on the Malibu Corral Canyon fire.
No tag for this post.
November 24th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
[...] hitsusa wrote a fantastic post today on “Malibu Corral Canyon Fire”Here’s ONLY a quick extract [...]
November 24th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. About 500 firefighters were at work on the blaze, aided by 10 water-dropping helicopters, but the latest Malibu fire had not been contained at all as of midmorning Saturday, 11-24.
An enormous wall of smoke rose up over the hills and canyons. The blaze raced downhill toward the Pacific Ocean abd jumped the Pacific Coast Highway, the main thoroughfare along the coast, spreading small spot fires.
Nearly 10,000 Malibu residents were evacuated from the Corral Canyon to the Point Dume area.
Today’s blaze is less than a mile from the area of last month’s 4,565-acre Canyon Fire, which destroyed six homes, two businesses and a church.
November 24th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
More pictures of the latest Malibu fire…
A DC-10 drops fire retardant on hills above Malibu
Causing the smoke to turn yellow…
November 24th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Video footage of the 11-24-2007 Malibu fire from the BBC:
November 24th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Raw CNN aerial footage of Malibu Lake fire:
The latest Malibu fire that started near Malibu Lake has now spread to just over 2200 acres and has claimed at least 35 homes. …
November 24th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
More information on homes burned in today’s Malibu Lake fire as of 12:30 pm PST:
About 5 homes have burned in Latigo Canyon, 15 in the Malibu Bowl area off Corral Canyon Road and 15 more in the Sea Breeze area.
The blaze has jumped Pacific Coast Highway at Latigo Shores, but apparently no homes burned on beach side.
One home near the beach did burn near Escondido Canyon and Geoffrey’s restaurant.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
11-24-2007 Update from CNN at 1:30 pm PST
MALIBU, California (CNN) — Firefighters in Malibu, California, struggled Saturday to control a raging wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes after it broke out before dawn.
Officials described the fire as “dangerous and dynamic” and warned residents not to let down their guard if winds weaken during the afternoon, as expected.
“Winds can start up again in a hurry, they can change direction suddenly, and the fire itself can create its own weather conditions,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said. “So just because the wind is dying down does not mean that people are out of danger.”
Yaroslavsky said the fire had burned 2,200 acres and 35 homes.
Hundreds of people were being evacuated after the fire started, around 3:30 a.m. PT. Strong winds fanned the flames, a fire official told CNN.
“Whenever these fires are pushed by … winds, it’s a like a blow torch with a hair dryer behind it,” Inspector Sam Padilla of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Officials said the fire had jumped the Pacific Coast Highway and was moving west, into more heavily populated areas.
Padilla said the fire had entered the city of Malibu.
Yaroslavsky said 1,700 firefighters and 23 aircraft were battling the blaze. He said one state firefighter was injured, but not seriously.
Officials said it’s unclear how the wildfire started, and that arson investigators were on the scene.
High winds and low humidity were impeding progress, Padilla said. Video images showed helicopters sucking water from swimming pools to fight the flames.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Couple more pics from the Malibu Lake fire:
A wind-whipped wall of flames swept down the hillside canyons above Malibu
A wild deer is silhouetted against the flames 11-24-2007
November 25th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Malibu fire 25% contained:
Forty-nine homes were destroyed and another 27 damaged, said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman.
By midafternoon the fire was estimated at 4,500 acres, or about 7 square miles, with 25 percent containment.
“Waking up at 4 in the morning with the smell of smoke in your nose and the wind beating at the windows is something that we learn to live with here, but it always comes as something of a shock,” said Mayor Jeff Jennings.
All the homes that were destroyed were in the fire’s initial morning surge before the winds slowed and firefighters gained a foothold.
By Saturday evening, about half of the evacuees were allowed to return to their homes, authorities said. The fire had subsided considerably and was expected to be more than half contained Sunday, Freeman said.
Fifteen helicopters and 15 airplanes, including a retardant-dropping DC-10 jumbo jet, attacked from the air while 1,700 firefighters battled flames on the ground. Six firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“Lost homes can be rebuilt, but lost lives can’t,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes Malibu. “We’re grateful there were no deaths.”
Helicopters lowered hoses into pools and the nearby Pacific to refill their tanks for water-dropping runs, and SuperScooper amphibious airplanes skimmed the ocean to reload.
November 25th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Malibu Fire update
Investigators had determined that the fire, which broke out along a dirt road off a paved highway, was caused by humans, but were still deciding whether it was started intentionally, said county fire Inspector Rick Dominguez.
Saturday’s fire burned to the west of the portions of Malibu that burned in October.
A resident who reportedly lost his home was Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, whose real name is Michael Balzary. The musician told the Los Angeles Times by text message that his home had “burned to a crisp.”
Balzary had purchased another home in Malibu last year, but the one destroyed is for sale for $4.8 million, the newspaper reported.
November 25th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
.
.
Malibu Fire Map
http://hitsusa.com/blog/343/malibu-fire-map/
.
.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
5 Arrested For Arson in Malibu Fire
LOS ANGELES - Authorities arrested five men Thursday on allegations they caused a fire that destroyed more than 50 homes and caused over $100 million in losses in Malibu.
Investigators used surveillance video, receipts and food wrappers to track down the men who were believed to have been at the cave where the fire started, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said.
“As adults we have always taught our children to be aware of the perils of fire,” Baca said. “In this case adults and fire and carelessness … are things that led to this crime.”
Baca identified the men as Brian Allen Anderson, 22; William Thomas Coppock, 23; Brian David Franks, 27; Eric Matthew Ullman, 18; and 19-year-old Dean Allen Lavorante. All five were in custody Thursday evening, Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
The suspects were each charged with two felony counts of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury and recklessly causing fire to inhabited structures, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office.
They were scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Van Nuys Superior Court. Bail amounts ranged from $240,000 to $265,000.
Each charge would carry two to four years of prison time upon conviction.
Baca said the men were from the Los Angeles area. They did not have listed phone numbers in Los Angeles County.
Whitmore said investigators found several pieces of evidence that indicated revelers had triggered the blaze by setting a campfire at a popular party spot by a cave.
County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said campfires in the area were prohibited.
Arson detective Irma Gonzales said 12 people had been partying at the cave. She did not comment on how the blaze spread from the campfire, but said the group did not try to fight it, nor did they try to warn residents as they fled from the flames.
“They just drove off,” Gonzales said.
A review of security tape from a nearby store’s camera and other detective work that took investigators as far away as Shasta County, on the Oregon line, led to the arrest warrants, Whitmore said.
The wildfire destroyed more than 50 homes, more than 30 outbuildings, a mobile home and 37 vehicles. Another 34 homes and 11 outbuildings were damaged. No one was seriously injured.
The fire broke out Nov. 24 and took several days to contain.