Brush fire burning in Calabasas, Calif., at 200 acres, fire officials say

A massive brush fire Saturday in the Calabasas area forced mandatory evacuations as the fast-moving flames consumed 200 acres, the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed.
"This is a fast-moving, dangerous fire," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Dennis Cross said. "It's hard for people to see where this fire is because of the dense canopy and the canyons."
The fire forced mandatory evacuations in the Highlands, Eddingham and Adamsville neighborhoods, fire officials said.

"Nobody can sit in their driveways or sit in their houses and ride this out. They need to get in their car and evacuate immediately," Cross said. Residents living as far away as Studio City found ash sprinkled on their cars as smoke permeated through SoCal.
The fire was reported at 4:30 p.m. in the area of 23062 Mulholland Highway, and began edging closer to homes.

Firefighters in three water-dropping helicopters were working to put out the blaze as nine teams and 24 engines assisted. Multiple areas were ablaze by 5:30 p.m.
Old Topanga Boulevard was closed between Pacific Coast Highway and Cezanne Avenue.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Lost Hills Station was in charge of evacuations. Residents were being evacuated to Agoura High School at 28545 West Driver Avenue.
Anyone with large animal was asked to evacuate to Los Angeles Pierce College at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills.
Several structures were damaged, fire officials said, but the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
The fire may have been ignited after a car crashed into power poles, downing lines in three different places, Captain Keith Mora said. All of the hot spots merged into one massive blaze, dubbed the "Old Fire."
A propane tank exploded into flames in front of Calabasas Klubhouse Pre-School as the heat from the fire crept closer to the structure, located at 3655 Old Topanga Canyon Road. A team of firefighters was defending the preschool.
Initially, a few thousand Southern California Edison customers experienced power outages after the car slammed into the power pole, David Song of SoCal Edison said. By 7 p.m., fewer than 200 were experiencing outages. Song said power should be fully restored by 12:30 a.m.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported that one firefighter was injured while battling the blaze.

The 200-acre fire came as NBC4 Meteorologist Shanna Mendiola warned of excessive heat warnings across SoCal, along with dry winds.
A second fire began burning at 4:20 p.m. in the West Hills area. Light wind was fueling the two-acre blaze, pushing it downhill into a ravine at Kittridge Street and Valley Circle, according to LA County Fire.
The blaze was about five miles north of the Calabasas blaze, and was extinguished by 6:40 p.m., with no injuries or homes burned.
A brush fire in Temecula scorched 35 acres, forcing a closure of lanes on the southbound 15 Freeway. Two lanes reopened by the afternoon on Saturday.
Another smaller blaze was reported in the Santa Clarita area amid rising temperatures, burning one-eighth of an acre near Decoro Drive and McBean Parkway.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department compiled tips for what do if confronted with a fire. Experts advise to not stop to gather your belongings -- just get out of the house if mandatory evacuations are ordered. "Call the Fire Department from a neighbor’s telephone after you are out of the house," a tip sheet read.

source:ktla.com