Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California wildfires are being contained, but there is still lots of work to be done
The three wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres this month in Southern California are starting to get under control, but the firefight is far from over.
As of Sunday morning, the Airport, Bridge and Line fires all remained under 40% containment.
Line Fire
The most contained of the three is the Line Fire, which started on Sept. 5 near Base Line Road in Highland.
In an update issued at 6:42 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire stated that the fire was active as Saturday turned to Sunday due to a dry airmass at higher elevations.
“The fire smoldered and crept on the ground in the lower elevations under the marine layer,” Cal Fire said in their most recent situation summary. “Cool conditions prevail across the fire area, and late Sunday and into Monday, light rain is possible. Firefighters are strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots.”
The Line Fire stands at 38,421 acres with 36% containment as of Sunday morning. Preliminary damage assessments indicate that only three structures have been damaged with one destroyed; three civilian and firefighter injuries have been reported due to the Line Fire, officials confirmed.
Evacuation orders remain in place for some areas. More information can be found on Cal Fire’s Line Fire incident page.
Airport Fire
The second most contained of the three fires is the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties, which has been burning since Sept 9.
On Saturday evening, the Orange County Fire Authority stated that the fire remained at 23,519 acres with 19% containment.
Despite the progress, crews still observed “active fire behavior” near Modjeska Peak and Sugar Loaf throughout the day.
“Substantial progress was made toward Bell Canyon through the combined efforts of heavy equipment, hand tools and aerial support,” OCFA said in a post to Facebook. “Ongoing efforts are focused on preventing further property loss and establishing a containment line to confine the fire within its current boundaries.”
According to OCFA, “favorable” weather conditions persisted Saturday and light precipitation in the forecast should aid in the firefight. They did note, however, that despite the break in the heat, the dry vegetation still exhibited active fire behavior, which indicates the continued risk of increased fire activity.
As of the latest assessment, 24 structures had been damaged by the Airport Fire, with a further 109 destroyed.
A total of 14 injuries to civilians and firefighters have been reported.
More information on the Airport Fire, including maps of areas still under evacuation orders, can be found here.
Bridge Fire
The Bridge Fire, burning in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, is the least contained of the three active SoCal wildfires as of Sunday morning.
Burning since Sept. 8, the Bridge Fire initially remained small before exploding late last week, eventually spanning over 51,000 acres at its peak on Thursday.
Cooler weather over the weekend aided fire crews, but in their latest status update, Cal Fire said that several parts of the blaze remain active.
“The northwest corner of the fire was most active [Saturday] … although interior ‘islands’ of unburned vegetation remain in the northern part of the fire, firefighters also plan to go direct and continue holding and securing their containment lines to protect the communities of Wrightwood, Pinon Hills and beyond,” officials stated. “To the northeast, the fire has reaches drainages on the west side of the north fork of Lytle Creek; however, firefighters are prioritizing dozer lines and direct attack wherever possible to stop the fire’s spread.”
“The east side of the fire is less active, [but it] still presents risks to residents in the Mount Baldy area so evacuation orders remain in effect,” Cal Fire added. “On the south side, firefighters are still holding their containment line at Sunset Peak while they continue contingency line construction below it…this area of the fire is where they were able to increase containment percentage by two percent.”
Six structures have been damaged and 19 have been destroyed as of the latest damage assessment, although Cal Fire noted that upwards of 11,500 structures remain threatened by the fire.
Only two injuries have been reported as a result of the Bridge Fire. Click here for the latest updates from Cal Fire, including a map detailing evacuation order zones.
As for the causes of the three fires, the Line Fire was allegedly set intentionally by a 34-year-old man from Norco and the Airport Fire started due to a spark from heavy equipment being operated by Orange County Public Works employees, although some have accused the workers of negligence or even “accidental arson.”
The cause of the Bridge Fire remains under investigation.
According to Cal Fire, there have been 6,126 wildfires in California this year which have scorched over 992,000 acres, destroyed 1,229 structures and led to one civilian death.
Los Angeles, Ca
1 dog, 2 pet birds die in Ventura house fire
Crews put out a house fire in Ventura that killed one dog and two pet birds Saturday.
The Ventura City Fire Department said 41 on-scene personnel responded to a structure fire on the 1300 block of Clay Avenue at 1:58 p.m.
Firefighters arrived within four minutes of the call to find a single-family home engulfed in flames coming from the garage and spreading into the rest of the residence.
Officials said a family was inside when the fire first broke out in the garage. All members were able to evacuate safely, but, unfortunately, they were unable to retrieve their pets.
However, firefighters quickly and aggressively attacked the flames and were able to save two dogs. Crews also managed to stop the fire from further damaging the home, putting out the fire by 4:17 p.m.
Fire crews confirmed the family lost one of their dogs and two birds in the fire.
Officials said the home was red-tagged and the family was advised they cannot re-occupy the home until the Ventura Building and Safety Department deems it safe.
The cause of this fire remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Family searching for man who disappeared in Los Angeles County
Loved ones are searching for a missing man who disappeared in Los Angeles County.
The missing man was identified as Andrew Scott Anderson, 23, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Anderson’s family last spoke with him on Sept. 13 at around 1 a.m., but they have been unable to reach him since. It’s unknown where he might be headed or located.
He is described as a white man around 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and possible facial hair.
He is believed to be traveling in his 2012 black four-door Honda Civic with Virginia license plate number TKV3014.
His family is concerned for his well-being and is asking for the public’s help to find him.
Anyone who may have seen Anderson or knows his whereabouts is asked to call the LASD’s Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Compton didn't warn local business owners about Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' video shoot: report
Several small business owners in Compton had no idea that a rap superstar was filming the music video for America’s No. 1 song back in June, and it wound up costing them thousands of dollars, according to a report.
Kendrick Lamar filmed the music video for his scathing diss track directed at Drake, titled “Not Like Us” on June 22 in his proud hometown of Compton.
The problem was, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, that local business owners weren’t informed of the plans.
Corina Pleasant, who runs Compton soul food restaurant Alma’s Place with her mother, told the Times that she noticed that no customers were in the restaurant an hour after opening on the day of the filming — despite the fact that the parking lot shared with other businesses was packed.
She later learned that the cars in the lot weren’t there to support the small businesses, but rather for fans of Lamar to try to catch a glimpse of the rapper, who was filming the video outside the nearby courthouse.
Pleasant and other business owners blame the city of Compton for failing to notify business owners that the massive shoot was taking place that day.
“I’m just running everything and making no money,” she told The Times. “I literally was there for nothing, because the little money that I did make, I had to pay my staff with that.”
She estimated that she lost somewhere around $2,000 that day. Other business owners had similar experiences.
“The people who suffer are the small businesses,” Adelfo Antonio Garcia, a co-owner of Sunny Express Gourmet Fast Food, said in Spanish, according to the L.A. Times. He said customers still believe the restaurant is closed on Saturdays due to the ordeal.
Pleasant said she closed up Alma’s Place early that day. If she knew about the music video’s filming ahead of time, she would have closed for the day or set up a pop-up tent outside.
A spokesperson for the city of Compton told The Times in a statement that better communication will be relayed to business owners in the future.
“Businesses in Compton, especially small businesses, are the backbone of our city,” the statement said. “We want to continue to keep an open line of communication and do everything we can to support economic growth.”
Better communication likely would have helped Alma Pleasant save some of her money, she said at a city council meeting.
“I’m here because three things affected me on Saturday,” she said during public comment. “And when those three things affect me, I’m coming in full force. One, my kids. Two, my money. Three, my food.”
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