Labor Day Weekend Ends With Deadly Motorcycle Crash

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LA County Fire crews battle a small brush fire at the intersection of Rambla Pacifico and Las Flores Canyon Road on Saturday afternoon.

While Labor Day is a chance for most people to head out of town on vacation, Malibu becomes a destination for most to head into. The beaches saw people from up and down the coast.

Record-breaking heat in Los Angeles drew a large influx of beach-going visitors, but the holiday weekend was also marked by brush fires and traffic collisions, including a deadly crash on Monday, Sept. 4.

Studio City man killed in fatal motorcycle incident

Luis Rodas, a 52-year-old man from Studio City, died after losing control of his motorcycle on Kanan Dume Road on Sept. 4, according to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Leland Tang. Rodas was traveling northbound on the winding canyon road at 4:50 p.m. when he failed to make a turn and was ejected from his seat. He hit the pavement, which led to fatal injuries.

Tang confirmed in an email to The Malibu Times that no other vehicles were involved. Rodas was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and the highway patrol is unsure if the man suffered from any impairment. The investigation is currently awaiting results of toxicology reports.

Two fires roar through Malibu

According to The Weather Channel, Malibu reached a record-high temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, Aug. 2. To add to the heat, Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to two separate fires that broke out on the same day, as reported by The Malibu Times earlier this week.

The first was a small brush fire at the intersection of Rambla Pacifico and Las Flores Canyon Saturday afternoon. Ten fire engines and a water-dropping helicopter from the LA County Fire Department Air Operations were on the scene. No harm to people or property was reported.

The second, a fire at Corral Canyon and Pacific Coast Highway, was called in at 4:02 p.m. As in the first fire, there were no reported damages.

Both fires were contained the same day. The causes for both fires are unknown. 

Malibu Search & Rescue sees increase in calls

David Katz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu Search and Rescue Team (SAR) wrote in an email that the group had an uneventful weekend. SAR received five calls over the weekend, regarding two brush fires, one missing person, one heat exhaustion call and one possible vehicle incident that turned out to be a motorcycle accident. 

Katz did point out that the team had responded to 125 calls this year alone. This number is on track to be the most ever, set to overtake the 132 calls received in 2015 (a record) and 105 calls in 2016. 

The Malibu Times reported on this phenomenon on July 13, after Independence Day festivities drew large crowds to Malibu’s beaches and trails. Similar to what he told the Times earlier this year, Katz said there was no particular reason for the significant increase.

Judy Abel contributed to this report.