A smoky wildfire churning through a Los Angeles canyon community gained strength Sunday as about a thousand residents remained under evacuation orders, authorities said.
Firefighters got a break from cooler weather early in the day but by afternoon flames starting moving again in steep terrain where tinder-dry vegetation hasn't burned in a half-century, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
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A smoky wildfire churning through a Los Angeles canyon community gained strength Sunday as about a thousand residents remained under evacuation orders, authorities said.
No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported in the wildfire that broke out late Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains. It smoldered for much of Saturday before erupting in the afternoon.
Los Angeles has seen very little rain in recent months, making for extremely parched conditions and high fire risk.
Crews relied on aircraft making drops of water and retardant because “the terrain is very steep and extremely difficult to navigate which hinders ground based firefighting operations,” a fire department statement said.
A firefighting helicopter drops water onto a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A helicopter drops water as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Firefighters keep watch as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighter keeps watch as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
“We're definitely seeing increased fire activity,” said department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.
Residents walk a dog as a brush fire burns behind homes in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported in the wildfire that broke out late Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains. It smoldered for much of Saturday before erupting in the afternoon.
A thousand or so residents of the Topanga Canyon area were ordered to evacuate their homes as flames raced along ridges, sending a huge plume of smoke and raining ash across surrounding neighborhoods and the U.S. 101 freeway to the north.
By midday Sunday the fire had charred about 2 square miles (5.1 square kilometers) of brush and trees. There was no containment.
A firefighter keeps watch as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Los Angeles has seen very little rain in recent months, making for extremely parched conditions and high fire risk.
The cause of the fire near Topanga State Park has been deemed “suspicious” and is under investigation, the fire department said.
There were reports of a possible arson suspect spotted in the area Saturday, but a search by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department didn’t find anyone, Stewart said.
A firefighting helicopter drops water onto a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Crews relied on aircraft making drops of water and retardant because “the terrain is very steep and extremely difficult to navigate which hinders ground based firefighting operations,” a fire department statement said.
Topanga Canyon is a remote, wooded community with some ranch homes about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles, on the border with Malibu.
A firefighting helicopter prepares to drop water onto a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighting helicopter drops water onto a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A helicopter drops water as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Firefighters keep watch as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighter keeps watch as smoke rises from a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on a brush fire scorching at least 100 acres in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)