Wildfire brings destruction to Beverly Hills
Pastor Dale Morgan
Wildfire brings destruction to Beverly Hills*
POSTED: 1337 GMT (2137 HKT), April 13, 2007
Story Highlights
• 15-acre blaze wreaks havoc on Beverly Hills
• Winds brought down power lines, which sparked flames
• 2 killed in sandstorm-induced interstate pileup
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Fires erupted in the hills above Los
Angeles on Thursday, damaging or destroying several homes as dangerous
north winds fueled the flames. Farther inland, a blinding sandstorm
triggered a deadly highway pileup.
Wind speeds of more than 50 mph propelled the flames in grass near
expensive mountainside homes above the city of Beverly Hills, Los
Angeles Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers said.
About 200 firefighters, some using water-dropping helicopters, contained
the blaze to 15 acres, or less than a square mile, in the Beverly Glen
neighborhood on the south face of the Santa Monica Mountains. (Watch as
flames blacken Beverly Hills homes Video)
Interim Los Angeles Fire Chief Douglas Barry said homes were damaged by
flames. The fire broke out after powerful winds toppled power lines,
igniting brush behind a residence, said Ron Myers, a fire department
spokesman.
Daphna Ziman was getting ready for a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at her
Woodland Drive home when there was suddenly smoke everywhere. Police
came to the door and told her to evacuate.
"It was black outside, you couldn't walk through it, I've never seen
anything like it," she said.
Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers said late Tuesday the fire was
essentially contained, but firefighters were still working because of
hotspots and concern that winds could fan embers into flames.
Smaller fires burned elsewhere in Southern California, including a 15-
to 20-acre blaze in Palmdale, a desert city in northern Los Angeles
County. Homes were threatened for a time before most of the active
flames were knocked down, county fire Inspector Sam Padilla said.
Fires caused power outages for more than 190,000 customers in Los
Angeles County and surrounding areas and utility officials did not know
when service would be restored. Commuters heading east out of Los
Angeles found traffic snarled by blacked-out signals and streets
cluttered with downed palm fronds.
Southern California is extremely fire-prone after a dry winter. Downtown
Los Angeles has recorded less than 2½ inches of rain since July 1.
In the inland region east of Los Angeles, 50 mph winds whipped
sandstorms across San Bernardino County's desert roadways.
A morning pileup on Interstate 40 killed two people and injured several
others near Barstow during zero-visibility conditions, authorities said.
"It almost looks like fog right now, and it just encompasses hundreds of
square miles," said California Highway Patrol Lt. Todd Sturges.
High winds at Los Angeles International Airport forced jets to make
second approaches, while others chose to divert to LA/Ontario
International Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian
Gregor said.