Second Fire at Lombard

November 18, 2015 Palisades News Page 3
Fire Ignites off
Via de las Olas
By SUE PASCOE
Editor
Firefighters had just come to our door
to tell us we were being evacuated,
but first they wanted to see if we had
done our brush clearance correctly. I
showed the inspector the back of the house
and to my relief, my husband had removed
leaves and dead brush, but water from fire
hoses was already running everywhere
Then the helicopters grew louder, and I
woke up. I had been having a nightmare. I
got out of bed and checked my cell phone.
It was 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, November 8.
I had recently installed the Palisades Patrol
app and it said there was a fire at Temescal
and Pacific Coast Highway.
I threw on clothes, and a jacket because
it seemed cool, and went out onto Radcliffe.
It was black outside, no streetlights, at
least none that seemed to be working, and
walked 10 minutes to Mount Holyoke.
There was no fire as I looked over Tem -
escal Canyon, but there was a large cloud of
smoke coming from the area below Via de
las Olas and I began walking that direction.
As I turned the corner onto Via de las
Olas, it suddenly felt warmer. There were
fire trucks lining the entire street with lights
flashing, helicopters with spotlights were
zooming low making water drops, and the
canyon was lit up with a warm glow from
the fire that eventually consumed almost
three acres. The scene was in sharp contrast
to the blackness around it.
I spoke first to Ken Nelson of the Mountain
Recreation Conservation Authority,
whose truck was parked at Beirut. He told
me they was suspected that it was a transient
warming fire. Since I walk my dogs
there frequently, I told him I had seen tents
in the canyon for the past few weeks.
I continued to the command center and
identified myself to Battalion 17 Chief
John Drake from Woodland Hills.
He said the call had come in at 2:59 and
the fire had started midway up the hill,
above PCH. Thirteen engine companies,
three truck companies, two brush patrols,
one water tender, four command teams,
two L.A. County hand crews and three
water-dropping helicopters responded.
Large fire hoses in the streets, made vehicle
traffic impossible, and water was flowing
down the street. The houses across from
the fire were dark and there were almost no
residents on the sidewalk watching. I later
learned that many Via de las Olas and
Friends Street residents had voluntarily
evacuated around 3:30 a.m. My nightmare
at home was what families were living as
they woke their small children and loaded
their cars to leave their homes.
Below on Pacific Coast Highway, I saw
more fire trucks and emergency vehicles
The absence of wind prevented the Lombard fire embers from spreading.
Photo: Cynthia Peterson (cynthiacpphotography.com)
Water-dropping helicopters made numerous drops.
that were blocking the northbound lanes.
As the helicopters made repeated drops,
Drake explained: “The water hits the head
of the fire, and firefighters are on the ground
making sure no houses catch fire. That’s
our priority. I don’t care if the brush burns.”
The embers were almost magical, spar -
kling and twinkling, as they shot 20 feet
into the air or higher. Clearly that if there
had been a wind, not only the houses adjacent
to the fire, but across Potrero, to the
Huntington could have been in jeopardy.
I told Drake, “I’m glad there’s no wind.”
He responded “Me, too.”
Standing on the edge of the cliffs, I
watched as the firefighters shot water over
the top, trying to prevent the embers from
crossing across the street to the eucalyptus
trees and homes.
The flames reached a palm tree, dancing
lazily, like little tongues, and then grew into
a larger fire lighting the entire area, but just
then one of the three helicopters making
repeated drops flew over. The fire went out
and firefighters continued to hose the area.
That same scenario was repeated over and
over in the next few hours.
At the command center, the wind start ed
to pick up, where just moments before the air
had been calm. “As the fire goes up the slope,
it creates a topographical breeze,” Drake
said. “The fire preheats the brush as it moves
up the slope and creates its own wind.”
By 6 a.m., the larger flames had been
doused, allowing crews to go into the brush
to turn over dirt and handle hot spots. The
helicopter continued to drop water as the
sun was started to lighten the sky.
Transients Asked to Move On
Palisades Patrol CEO Scott Wagen -
seller sent the following update on
Thursday, November 12. “LAPD is in
full force at PCH and Porta Marina working
on homeless encampments. The next stop
is the hills on the parkland below Via de las
Olas where the fire was. They are going to
be posting enforceable no camping signs.”
A few minutes later, Wagenseller sent another
update: “Two men arrested at Castellammare
and Sunset Boulevard. One had
a gun (.380 pistol) and the other was stealing
from Vons.”
Sgt. Eric Fine of Palisades Patrol accompanied
Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore
and other LAPD to the area between Tem -
escal Canyon Road and Potrero Canyon
(above PCH, near the burn area) and reported:
“The brush area is more than 8 feet
high.” He said that LAPD was telling transients
they were no longer allowed to stay
Photo: Sue Pascoe
because of the new signage.
Moore said on Thursday that there were
seven active campsites and eight abandoned
ones.
Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer
Michael Moore stands by a tent located
near the burn site. Photo: Palisades Paatrol