A brush fire that ignited in the Sepulveda Pass Monday morning destroyed at least eight homes and prompted officials to issue mandatory evacuations for thousands of others, authorities said.
The blaze, dubbed the Getty Fire, broke out about 1:30 a.m. just north of Sunset Boulevard on the west side of the 405 Freeway.
The Getty Fire burns near the 405 Freeway on Oct. 28, 2019. (Credit: KTLA)
By noon, the fire had scorched about 618 acres and was 0% contained, according to an update from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“I personally saw five homes that are on Tigertail that have been lost,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said during a morning news conference. A couple of homes in Kenter Canyon may also have been burned, he said.
Later, the mayor said a total of eight homes have been destroyed and another five damaged. But that number could rise as the wildfire continues to burn and authorities assess the devastation.
Firefighters gained some control over the blaze after sunrise. “We made some really good progress … We always thank God for the helicopters,” LAFD Battalion Chief Mark Curry said.
But crews were “literally overwhelmed” as they worked to put out the quickly moving blaze, according to LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas.
“They had to make some tough decisions on what homes they were able to protect,” Terrazas said.
About 11:30 a.m., another flareup was spotted near the Mountain Gate Golf Course.
A smoke advisory was issued in the Brentwood area by South Coast Air Quality Management District, warning residents of gusts pushing smoke to the south towards Santa Monica and southeast towards downtown L.A., Burbank and the San Fernando Valley.
On Tuesday, officials said, winds are expected to push smoke to the north, towards the San Fernando Valley, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Burbank. Conditions could also bring smoke and ash into parts of northwest coastal Los Angeles.
Current air quality conditions can be viewed in this live map.
Road conditions
The wildfire prompted officials to close a portion of the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass. All southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway were closed from the 101 Freeway to Sunset Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Many on- and off- ramps were closed in the fire area.
Officials also closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard from Mulholland Highway to PCH to non-residents.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation tweeted out their own list of street closures:
Evacuations
About 10,000 homes were under mandatory evacuations, according to the Fire Department.
Those evacuations have been issued for residents within the following borders:
- Temescal Canyon Road as west border
- Sunset Boulevard as south border
- Mulholland Drive as north border
- 405 Freeway as east border
“We want people to be evacuated, to grab their belongings that have been predetermined, take care of their pets, their medications, their papers and to leave that area because the fire is moving right into that area,” Scott said.
Scott also listed boundaries for areas under evacuation warnings because the fire is burning in that direction.
- Topanga Canyon as west border
- Sunset Boulevard as south border
- Mulholland Drive as north border
- Temescal Canyon Road as east border
The most current evacuations areas can be viewed in this live map.
Some areas in red mandatory evacuation zones were downgraded to yellow zones were residents are being told to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen.
Evacuation shelters have been set up at the following locations:
- Westwood Recreation Center (1350 South Sepulveda Blvd.)
- Van Nuys / Sherman Oaks Recreation Center (14201 Huston St.)
- Stoner Recreation Center (1835 Stoner Ave.)
- Palisades Recreation Center (851 Alma Real Drive)
- Cheviot Hills Recreations Center (2551 Motor Avenue)
For animals:
- West Valley Animal Shelter (20655 Plummer St.)
- West LA Animal Shelter (11361 W. Pico Blvd.)
- (Large animals) Hanson Dam Rec Area
Updated fire and evacuation information can be found on LAFD.org.
Power outages
About 2,600 customers were temporarily without power due to the fire, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power tweeted early Monday.
Power was restored to all but about 900 customers, spokeswoman Dawn Cotterell said later in the morning. There was no immediate word on when power to the rest of the customers would be restored.
Southern California Edison imposed power safety shutoffs to more than 15,000 customers in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
A full list of shutoffs can be found the SCE’s website.
Weather conditions
Temperatures and winds were more favorable to firefighters than during last week’s blazes, Garcetti said. Although winds had been gusty, embers were not sparking new fires, he said.
Winds between 20 and 30 mph winds with gusts near 40 mph were expected through the morning, the National Weather Service stated.
The region remains under a critical fire weather warning through Monday evening.
School closures
UCLA and Santa Monica College canceled classes due to Monday’s fire.
Many Los Angeles Unified School District campuses will also be closed, as well as all Santa Monica and Malibu school district campuses.
A number of private schools in the area were also closed. Click here for an updated list of school closures.
About 500 firefighters were battling the blaze from the air and the ground.
Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Garcetti said it was not started by any type of encampment.
KTLA’s Marissa Wenzke contributed to this report.
