Sunday Update: Palisades Fire Burning North Past Topanga Canyon, No New Areas Evacuated

By The Malibu Times · Sun May 16 2021

No structures were apparently lost to flames, as heavy fog blanketed the Topanga Canyon area Saturday night, and caused a brushfire to slow its spread.

But photos taken at 6:30 am from nearby mountains showed heavy smoke again building in canyon bottoms east of the central business district in Topanga.  Zones 4 and 6 remain evacuated overnight, and Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Old Topanga Road remained closed to general traffic, residents included. 

PCH was open, although the fire headquarters and base camp was set up at the north end of Will Rogers State beach, and numerous fire apparatus were sharing PCH with the regular weekend load of cars and cyclists.

Coincidentally, perhaps, a car hit an RV on PCH at Topanga Canyon Boulevard at about 4 a.m., causing considerable damage to both vehicles.

At 5:15 a.m. Sunday, KBUU radio reported:

• heavy fog grounded all helicopters overnight.
• no threat to Malibu.
• no houses burned, according to LA County Fire.
• PCH is open.
• fire had burned north past Eagle Springs Fire Road, and the upper Topanga Fire Road (east of Trippett Lane) and was making a "hard push" on its western front, last night.
• staging and command is at PCH at Temescal Canyon Road, on the beach, and lots of fire truck activity can be expected on PCH.
• Topanga Cyn Blvd and Old Topanga Road remain closed.
• Large planes being readied with foam at San Bernardino for when weather clears.
• Social media has posts of supposed arsonist, which sheriff and fire officials have not verified.

At 6:30, fire cameras mounted west and east of the fire showed smoke again rising, but no fog. 

Unofficial sources today spotted three large aircraft at San Bernardino Airport's fire base, being readied for possible retardant drops near Topanga.