Three homes are lost, 100 residents are evacuated and the fire continues to burn northwest.
By Laura Tate/Editor and Christie Lopez/Special to The Malibu Times
After escaping major fires for more than a year of severe drought, three fires flamed through Malibu in less than 24 hours beginning Sunday night, burning more than 2,000 acres, damaging three homes and a car, and leaving two highway patrol officers injured.
As of Tuesday morning, Jan. 7, 11:35 a.m., it was reported by a L.A. County Fire Department representative that 2,200 acres had been affected by a fire that broke out in the Trancas Canyon area near Broad Beach on Monday morning.
Maria Grycan, L.A. County Fire Department Community Services Representative, reported that the fire was still burning northwest in the Decker Canyon area. More than 1,000 emergency personnel were on duty and the fire was reported to be 10 percent contained.
Local schools were closed and children were evacuated. Mandatory evacuations took place in Decker and Encinal canyons, and the Red Cross evacuation shelter at Malibu High School is closed for the time being. Evacuees were sent to emergency shelters at Leo Carrillo State Beach and Sycamore Cove Park and have not been allowed to return to their homes.
In addition to the high school, Juan Cabrillo Elementary School and Malibu Methodist Pre-school, all located on Morningview Drive approximately 1 mile south of Trancas Canyon, are closed today, Jan. 7. Bluffs Park is closed to the public for use by the Fire Department to dispatch helicopters. The Malibu Courthouse on Civic Center Way is open, but with limited parking access.
Road closures reported by the city as of Tuesday morning are: Pacific Coast Highway between Trancas Canyon and Mulholland Highway. Access to PCH between Kanan Dume Road and Trancas Canyon is limited to residents and those conducting business in the area. Proof of residence is required to again access.
Kanan Road southbound is open to Malibu residents only. Kanan Dume Road northbound is open to all traffic.
Civic Center Way is closed between Webb Way and Cross Creek Road until further notice.
Additional road closure information can be obtained by calling the Malibu Public Information Hotline at 310.456.9982.
Two CHP officers were injured while directing traffic at Kanan Dume Road and Pacific Coast Highway at 10 p.m. Monday. A 30-year-old man from Sylmar driving a white 1987 Cadillac sedan failed to stop for the flashing red lights from the officers’ hand signals. The man was traveling south on Kanan Dume Road to eastbound on PCH when he collided with the two officers standing in the middle of the intersection. Officers Allen Lindquist and Daniel Margaris were airlifted to UCLA and Northridge medical centers. They suffered moderate injuries and are listed in stable condition.
The driver of the Cadillac was detained by the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department Station and was later transported to Los Robles Medical Center for treatment and a blood test to determine whether he was under the influence at the time of the accident.
According to Grycan, the Trancas fire began around 10:45 a.m. and was caused by a “downed powerline.”
High winds were reported to be the biggest problem in fighting the fire, which were gusting up to 79 miles per hour through Monday evening.
Evacuations began Monday afternoon on Encinal Canyon from PCH to Avenida de la Encinal.
In the early afternoon, traffic on PCH was reportedly backed up three miles south of Trancas Canyon. The Sheriff’s Department conducted evacuations along PCH at Broad Beach (west of Trancas Canyon) and in the Trancas Canyon area. By 3 p.m., residents of the Malibu West area were allowed to return to their homes.
Eyewitness and 30-year Malibu resident Dr. Bruce Rays said that from the time the fire began, “fire engines, ambulances and police cars were constantly arriving” on the scene.
The night before the Trancas fire, two separate brush fires broke out Sunday evening, the first in Latigo Canyon and the second in Corral Canyon. The Latigo Canyon fire was held to approximately 5 acres and was quickly contained. In this instance, the high winds were not much of a factor because the fire burned against the wind. However, according to fire personnel, the second fire was more troublesome to contain because it burned in the direction of the heavy wind. This fire burned approximately 15 acres and was completely contained by around 4 a.m. Monday morning. Even after the blazes were contained, fire engines remained in both locations with fire staff watching for hot spots overnight.