This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News.
It’s the [[[ final ]]] edition … for [[[ Wednesday ]]] … from Radio Malibu …. 99-point-1 … KBUU News.
Good morning …. I’m Hans Laetz reporting.
Malibu Choking On 405 Pass Smoke –
It was a quiet night in Malibu … but today’s brushfire in Sepulveda Pass has Malibu cloaked in smoke.
Winds continued to hit the mountains above Malibu at 47 miles per hour in one spot.
Schools are cancelled in Malibu … and at Santa Monica College …. as well as at 50 LA Unified school campuses.
The Skirball Fire was ignited on the east side of the 405 at the Getty Center Drive offramp … just north of the Getty Museum … on the other side of the freeway from the art center.
It spread quickly … burning up the hill towards the Bel Air Crest subdivision.
The 4-0-5 northbound was closed quickly.
Southbound 4-0-5 remained open … but traffic has been shut off and on coming out of the Valley.
Several impacts on Malibu.
One … the loss of the 4-0-5 could put extremely heavy traffic on canyon roads and P C H.
Two …. this smoke is blowing directly at Malibu.
Three … the 10 and the 101 freeways are congested at the 405 interchanges at either end of the closure.
Four … because of that … school closures …
Schools Cancelled In Bu, SM
Malibu’s public schools were to be open today … with parents the option to keep their kids home as an excused absence.
That was before the 405 was closed.
At 6:15 – the school district said its employees could not get to school.
And all 17 schools in both Malibu and Santa Monica were closed for the day.
The district says its teachers its teachers reported that indoor air was uncomfortable in some rooms yesterday.
District superintendent Ben Drati says they feel that it is important to provide the care and education of students on a scheduled school day, unless the situation becomes unsafe.
Schools were going to have indoor schedules today … no outdoor activity planned.
Oaks Christina High School is closed.
Private schools are all setting their own policies.
Winds Will Increase to 60 MPH Tonight
The Thomas fire … in Ventura County … is visible from the top of Kanan Dume Road at tunnel two.
In fact at least two people called in reports that that was a brush fire up there last night … when they were looking at the Thomas fire and some 20 miles away near Santa Paula.
The Ventura County Star reports that 50,000 people have been placed under mandatory evacuation of their residences due to the fire as of this morning, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
This includes new evacuations from communities along the northern Ventura County coast, including the beachfront houses at Solimar and the hamlet of La Conchita.
The estimate still stands at 150 houses burned in Ventura … but that was from yesterday and the number is expected to jump dramatically today.
The Thomas Fire has burned 65 thousand plus acres.
It has burned into Casitas Springs … a small town north of Ventura along Highway 33.
Ojai is very much threatened.
So is Carpinteria … and the entire coastal strip of Santa Barbara County.
12 thousand houses and businesses are in the direct line of fire … as of last night.
The Thomas Fire is now 65 thousand acres …. and has burned into the town of Casitas Lake … which is on Route 33 between Ventura and Ojai.
Firefighters and the CHp are working mightily to keep the 33 open between Ventura and Ojai,
33 is the only evacuation option for the Ohio Valley… which remains under threat from the Thomas fire.
Mandatory evacuations remained for Eastern Ojai …. Voluntary evacuations for downtown … the minors Oaks area … and Casitas Lakes.
West of Ventura … the 101 freeway is open even though the fire has jumped it in several places near Solimar Beach.
L a Conchita … that small seaside Village about 10 Miles west of Ventura … is under mandatory evacuation orders.
The Thomas fire has jumped the 101 it is threatening houses at Mondo beach.
In the San Fernando Valley … the Creek fire remains Active in the mountains Northeast of sylmar.
The 210 freeway has been reopened in traffic.
It has burned more than 11,000 acres with 0% containment.
Evacuation orders remain for the areas north of the 210 freeway and foothill Boulevard.
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You are listening to the latest news … from Radio Malibu … 99-point-1 … KBUU.
It’s [[[ TIME ]]] .
Fire Aviation Dot Com Reports Air Tankers On Standby, For Wind Drop
According to the website Fire Aviation Dot Com: Typically in December the number of air tankers that are active in Southern California on a daily basis declines to numbers much lower than what is seen during the busy part of the wildfire season. Tankers go off contract or beyond their mandatory availability period and many of them begin maintenance programs. The 66,000 acres burning in the Thomas, Rye, and Creek Fires in Southern California could test the ability of the fire management agencies to mobilize enough aviation assets to fill the requests from the firefighters in the field.
This afternoon Fireaviation.com collected information about the fixed wing assets that are expected to be available beginning Wednesday.
CAL FIRE has 14 S2 air tankers, 9 OV10’s, 1 DC-7, and multiple helicopters ready to go. A Neptune Aviation BAe-146, T-12, had completed its exclusive use period but is being reactivated on a Call When Needed contract. A DC-10 and a 747 will be based at San Bernardino and McClellan, respectively. Coulson will supply two C-130’s on a CAL FIRE contract. One of them, T-131, was loaded with equipment and supplies in order to depart today for their contract in Australia, but with approval of the Australian fire authorities they unloaded the airplane and it will be ready to support CAL FIRE by 0700 on Wednesday. Coulson’s T-133 is having its internal retardant tank re-installed and will also be on site in California Wednesday.
Modular Airborne FireFighting System: Two California National Guard MAFFS C-130’s have been activated by the state’s Governor to assist with the wildfires in Southern California.
Los Angeles City and County: Between the two agencies they have 8 helicopters and two CL-415 scooping air tankers. The winds were too strong yesterday and today to use the fixed wing aircraft.
U.S. Forest Service: Two CL-415 scooping air tankers, two MD-87 air tankers, and two RJ85 air tankers will be on duty Wednesday.
Summary: 14 S2’s, 2 Very Large Air Tankers, 8 large air tankers, two MAFFS C-130’s, and four scooping air tankers — plus we’re guessing 15 to 25 helicopters.
With the very strong Santa Ana winds currently blowing in Southern California it remains to be seen if it will be possible, safe, or effective to use fixed wing aircraft over the fires. Air tankers have to fly low and slow, and usually over rough terrain. Strong winds can make this unsafe and the retardant can also be blown far off the target. So far none have been used on the three large fires burning this week, while helicopters have been able to operate in some areas.
Weather for the Malibu …
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Heavy smoke… and sunny with a high of ((( 76 ))) today on the beach … and in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Winds will be ((( 35 miles per hour gusting to 50 today ))).
Downcoast winds of ((( ))) miles an hour this afternoon in the sand.
Sunset tonight is at ((( 4:42. ))).
After that ….
Heavy smoke tonight.
Santa Ana Winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour.
Lows ((( ))) at the beach … down to ((( ))) in some canyons.
Tomorrow should be ((( much the same ))).
At 10 a-m … at Trancas it’s 70 degrees …. relative humidity 7 percent … winds out of the east at 13 miles per hour gusting to 29.
At upper Malibu Canyon it’s 66° … relative humidity 9 percent … winds out of the east at 23 miles per hour gusting to 45.
And at Civic Center Los Angeles ((( its 67 with no wind. ))).
The KBUU Newswire imposted midmornings … and the radio station is streaming … at radiomalibu.net and kbu.fm .
Also .. at the Malibu Times website.
Breaking news always goes first on the radio … at F-M 99-point-1.
Our signal comes in from County Line all the way to Big Rock … with a couple of holes at Ralphs and Latigo.