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Charred, wooden skeletons of house frames are all that remain of four homes and a guest house that were engulfed in flames Monday, Jan. 8, on Malibu Road. Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire amidst questions regarding brush clearance compliance.
The fast moving fire began in Bluffs Park around 5 p.m. and burned close to 20 acres before being contained by 8:30 p.m., causing up to $60 million in damage.
Firefighters responded quickly to the blaze, arriving within three minutes of being dispatched. Nearly 300 firefighters worked to contain the fire, along with 40 fire engines and several helicopters that used recycled water from Alumni Park to douse the flames.
According to witnesses, the fire began as a small plume of smoke near Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road and quickly escalated into flames of 50 to 100 feet high.
Fueled by Santa Ana winds with gusts of up to 30 mph, the fire spread through Bluffs Park, down a small hill toward Malibu Road and destroyed four properties within 30 minutes.
“It was moving really fast,” junior Rico Tucker said.
Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions while firefighters worked to control the blaze. Commuters were delayed for more than an hour while many drove through campus to avoid the closures.
A large crowd of students and onlookers gathered in Alumni Park, where flames were visible. Freshman Brianna Blanchard was among them.
“Everyone was just hanging around,” she said. “Some were freaking out but there were mixed feelings. Everyone was taking pictures and was on the phone with someone.”
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman described the neighborhood as a “war zone.”
“Anything that was down there that could burn, did burn,” he said.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire but there have been questions raised as to whether the area was in compliance with brush clearance regulations. The California Coastal Commission limits brush clearance in the area to only 100 feet in order to preserve vegetation and wildlife, even though state fire regulations recommend 300 feet.
Malibu Mayor Ken Kearsley has voiced concern over other areas being put in danger as a result.
“It's absolutely frustrating,” Kearsley said Jan. 10 in an interview with the Associated Press. “As far as the city is concerned, homeowners are first. Its our responsibility to protect life and property.”
Suzanne Somers was among the residents who lost their homes. Best known for her role in the 1970s sitcom “Three’s Company,” she was not home at the time of the fire. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation but was released soon after.
Malibu resident Bruce Beddoe noted the dangers of living in Malibu as he visited the site of the fire. Beddoe has been a Malibu resident for 15 years and lives near Point Dume.
“If you live in Malibu, you have to be willing to lose your home,” he said. “A lot of people don’t get that. The area will burn at some time. Its not an ‘if’ question. It’s very sad. I have a lot of friends who have lost homes in the past.”
Malibu is notorious for more than just celebrity sightings. Residents have seen fires, floods, mudslides, and storms that have inflicted severe damages over the years.
A series of fires in 1978 destroyed 230 homes and killed one man, and six homes were lost in a fire in October, 1985. The most destructive fire was in November of 1993 in which 268 homes burned and three people lost their lives.
As for this fire, Malibu residents will undoubtedly move forward, despite their tragic losses.
“It gave me a taste of what its like to have [a fire] so close,” Blanchard said. “It makes you realize that this is not all going to be here forever.”
Submitted 01-18-2007
MALIBU, CA
