SATURDAY FIRE REPORT - UPDATE 7
Dawn - no fire
The big cloud of smoke is from Mandeville Canyon on the other side of the mountains. Helicopter shot I saw in the morning TV report shows fire is not terrible, but nothing to ignore. Firefighters are in Brentwood now, which is under mandatory evacuation. UCLA has notified students to prepare for evacuation. The Palisades Fire is reported 11% contained - up from 8% last night. But it is spreading east.
I’m so buzzed on coffee from last night I can’t sleep as much as I want to.
Definitely do not ever want to do anything like this again!
UPDATE 1
UCLA and Westwood, Bel Air north of Sunset and west of Stone Canyon Reservoir are on mandatory evacuation. Geez - Beverly Hills is next. The wind has definitely picked up.
UPDATE 2
This was taken at 1pm. The smoke on the left is what scared everybody last night. It’s really knocked back now. The smoke cloud on the right is from upper Mandeville Canyon. That is the site of the big fight today. Just before I took this, I saw a C-130 firebomber drop a load of retardant over that. Mandeville is the eastern edge of the Palisades Fire. If it gets past that, it will be in Brentwood.
Right now it has warmed up considerably from last night (when it was down to 45 - cold for LA - I can hear you snowbound folks laughing). Sky is clear here because the wind is about 18-20 mph out of the NNE. it’s f orecast to pick up with gusts to 30 tonight. Not as bad as last Tuesday, but enough to make the Mandeville situation tough.
Let me thank you all again for your support. Being here alone (with the kitties) last night and feeling freaked the hell out about the possibility of leaving, it was good to have all you in connection. Thanks to all of you.
UPDATE 3
They are just reporting the big cloud (which started growing just before I took that shot) is fire that just sparked. It is climbing above Mandeville Canyon, toward the north (us). Just when you think you know what’s happening, the fire says “Hold my beer.”
UPDATE 4
Correction, that threatening fire is Westridge Canyon - the Mountaingate area. That’s just above Tarzana. It’s less populated, and this is a flare-up from an invasive species that dies off every fall, leaving lots of fuel. They just hit it with two big jet airliner firebombers dropping borate. Watched it on the TV and it looks like it has knocked out half the fire. They need another hit to get it.
UPDATE 5 - SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1530 HOURS
The borate bombers did the job.
Both the Mandeville Canyon (left) and Mountaingate (right) blazes are down. The borate bombers did the job on the Mountaingate flare-up. Fingers crossed things stay this way.
Corky says “Wake me when it’s over.”
UPDATE 6 - GOOD NEWS!
For the first time in days, there is no smoke on the horizon over the Santa Monica Mountains at 1620 hours.
UPDATE 7 - HURRAH!
Was just outside at 1910 hours - there is no fireglow to be seen anywhere. Looks like I get a night’s sleep.
I’m so glad you are safe, Tom. I evacuated at the start of the Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills, when I got the alert to prepare. It was that or stay up all night checking to see if I had to flee immediately. I couldn’t manage that, even with coffee and Xanax! Although chocolate was helping me cope. Our offices are in Encino/Sherman Oaks and we were anxious over night but the fire line seems to be holding. The air quality is horrible, so I hope you are being mindful of that as well.
My son is now safely in San Diego. I can sleep again.