Update, 9:45 p.m., May 16: Evacuation orders will remain in place overnight in areas of Topanga due to the Palisades fire, as per Los Angeles County Fire Department.
California Highway Patrol reported that Topanga Canyon Boulevard will stay closed between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway, urging commuters to “plan head and find alternate routes tomorrow.”
Topanga Elementary Charter School will be temporarily closed beginning Monday due to air quality and safety concerns, according to Los Angeles Unified School District.
Per Los Angeles Fire Department, an evacuation warning remains in place for areas of the Highlands, but no mandatory evacuations have been issued within the city of Los Angeles as of Sunday evening.
“During the course of the investigation, LAFD Arson Investigators and LAPD have aggressively tracked down any and all potential leads,” according to LAFD’s Margaret Stewart in an alert posted at 6 p.m. “We did have one individual who was detained and released. However, we now have a second individual that is being questioned. The active investigation into the cause of the Palisades fire continues.”
The fire remained at 1,325 acres and 0% containment, as of the latest report from LAFD.
Update, 3:10 p.m., May 16: The Palisades brush fire, which first started in a remote area off Michael Lane and Palisades Court Friday at 10 p.m., reached 1,325 acres as of 12:51 p.m. Sunday, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation warning at 2 p.m. for an area in the Highlands.
“LAFD is now issuing an Evacuation Warning for the following area: 1500 block of Chastain Parkway W—all homes north of Chastain Parkway over to Calle Del Cielo (eastern boundary),” according to LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart. “The warning area includes Calle De Sarah, Calle Bellevista and all homes West of Calle Del Cielo / Ave Ashley up to the hills.”
Residents in the area are urged to prepare for a potential evacuation based on developing fire activity.
Update, 1:50 p.m., May 16: Los Angeles County Fire Department reported at 12:50 p.m. on Sunday that the Palisades fire, which first started Friday night at 10 p.m., had reached 1,325 acres. Containment remained at 0%.
Update, 12 p.m., May 16: As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning, the Palisades fire had reached approximately 835 acres with 0% containment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department PIO.
“Crews are working flare-ups towards the leading edge of the fire,” according to a report by LACoFD. “[LACoFD Air Ops] water dropping helicopters & ground personnel continue the fight in steep, rugged terrain.”
Update, 9 a.m. May 16: The Palisades brush fire, which first started in a remote area off Michael Lane and Palisades Court Friday at 10 p.m., reached 750 acres as of 7 p.m. Saturday.
“The weather remained cool and moist overnight, which led to calmer fire activity,” according to LAFD Spokesperson Margaret Stewart at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. “However, as it warms up today the conditions are expected to change as the vegetation in this area is very dry and has not burned in 50-plus years. The onshore winds expected to pick up in the afternoon could push the fire in the NW direction and resources are in place for any structural defense required.”
“The estimated size is 100 acres ‘slop over’ (meaning the edge of the fire crossed a control line as opposed to a ‘spot fire,’ which is ahead of the fire body),” according to spokesperson Margaret Stewart as of 4:15 p.m. Saturday. “The terrain is very steep and extremely difficult to navigate, which hinders ground-based firefighting operations. The bulk of the firefighting is air based.”
Members of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau were searching for a person suspected of setting the fire, Deputy Alejandra Parra confirmed to City News Service.
Firefighters continue to fight a brush fire that first broke out at 10 p.m. Friday night in what was reported to be “heavy brush and steep terrain” in a remote area off Michael Lane and Palisades Court in the Highlands, according to LAFD Spokesperson Nicholas Prange.
“Firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to hold it to approximately 15 acres (difficult to estimate at night due to fire location and it will be re-evaluated after morning briefings),” LAFD’s Margaret Stewart wrote in an alert that was posted at 6:30 a.m. this morning. “There are no structures threatened, no evacuations in place and no injuries reported. The weather is cool and wet (with high humidity) and no-to-low winds, which helped hold the fire in check within the ‘bowl’ it’s in.”
Efforts over the night were primarily from the air with LAFD helicopters making water drops until about 5 a.m. Saturday morning.
“Firefighters struggled to ascend the hillsides at night to lay in trunk lines (hand lines which serve as a water supply line to the firefighting lines) but due to the extremely steep terrain within the remote canyon and danger of trying to negotiate them in the dark, no existing safe escape routes and the lack of visibility to see the fire behavior (if a change in fire occurs, crews need to be able to move to safe ground prior to being put at risk), they were not able to put the trunk lines in place,” according to Stewart. “A fresh set of fire engines and crews are rotating in this morning to continue the work.”
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