Oct 23, 2007 10:51 pm US/Pacific
4,400-Acre Malibu Fire 85 Percent Contained
Pacific Coast Highway Now Open To All Traffic
MALIBU, Calif. (CBS) ―
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The Malibu fire was reported about 4:50 a.m. Sunday and may have been sparked by downed power lines, county fire Inspector Sam Padilla said.
Photo by David McNew/Getty Images
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Smoke moves over the Pacific Ocean.
AP
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Erratic wind gusts hampered efforts to drop water from aircraft and pushed flames toward the Hughes Lab technology research campus, about a mile north of Pepperdine.
CBS
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The blaze had charred at least 1,000 acres and had jumped the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in shopping center parking lots along the route.
CBS
Fire crews appeared to have the upper hand Tuesday on the 4,400-acre wildfire near Malibu, and about 500 firefighters there were dispatched to other fire zones, authorities said.
As of 7:30 p.m., Pacific Coast Highway was reopened to all traffic, but Malibu Canyon Road remained closed. Almost all areas in Malibu have been reopened to residents, with the exception of Rambla Pacifico, which includes Las Flores Canyon, Carbon Mesa and the Malibu Crest area.
Some 1,400 firefighters were assigned to the fire Monday night, Inspector Ed Osorio of the county fire department said. That number had been reduced to 900 as of mid-morning Tuesday.
Crews remained on the lookout for hotspots, authorities said, and full containment of the blaze was expected by Friday.
The fire destroyed or damaged nearly two dozen homes and businesses and prompted hundreds of evacuations, authorities said.
All public schools remained closed Tuesday in Malibu. A community meeting was planned for 7 p.m. at Malibu High School, 30215 Morning View Drive, at which officials will brief residents on evacuations and road closures, the city of Malibu reported.
Another community meeting was planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Agoura/Calabasas community center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas.
The so-called Canyon Fire, which began about 4:50 a.m. Sunday, may have been sparked by power lines felled by strong Santa Ana winds, officials said.
Gusts of up to 60 mph pushed the flames into canyons dotted with multimillion-dollar homes.
The flames were about 85 percent contained Tuesday night, the county fire department reported. Six homes and two businesses were destroyed, and nine homes and five businesses were damaged.
Three people suffered minor injuries, the county fire department reported. About 1,500 people were evacuated Sunday as the flames tore through brush and began jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
Malibu Presbyterian Church was among the buildings destroyed. Among the homes destroyed was the Kashan Castle, also known as Hodge Castle, a 10,500-square-foot hilltop landmark built in 1978.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared a regional state of emergency because of the wildfires burning around the Southland, toured the area Monday, and said significant progress had been made. He also said the firefight was smoother than the effort in 2003, when a fierce fire tore through more than 17,000 acres in Malibu, destroying more than 300 homes.
Classes were canceled Tuesday at Pepperdine's Malibu campus.
City Hall was closed Monday, and remained closed to the public.
However, city staff will be on hand to respond to urgent matters, the city reported.
American Red Cross shelters remained open at Agoura High School, 28545 W. Driver Ave.; and at Pacific Palisades High School, 15777 Bowdoin St., and at Malibu High School, 30215 Morning View Drive.
PCH remained closed between Topanga Canyon and Kanan Dume. Malibu Canyon and Topanga Canyon roads were closed between PCH and Mulholland Highway.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
SLIDESHOW: Malibu Brush Fire
Malibu Fire Fact Sheet
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