A suspicious wind-driven brush fire prompted officials to evacuate several homes in Malibu early Monday morning.
A firefighter battles a brush fire in Malibu on Jan. 29, 2018. (Credit: KTLA)
Firefighters were dispatched to the Civic Center area about 3:17 a.m. when the fire broke out behind the Malibu Library, Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Williams said.
Crews faced strong winds as they battled the fire, which burned 6 acres in a grassy area that last burned in the 2007 Canyon Fire, Williams said.
The winds were blowing at 40 mph "if not stronger," Fire Department Battalion Chief Eleni Tappas said.
"Favorably the winds were heading toward the ocean," said Tappas, who explained that the fire was heading uphill and against the wind. "That played in our favor."
A brush fire burning in Malibu is seen on Jan. 29, 2018. (Credit: KTLA)
The fire threatened the Harbor Vista and Malibu Crest communities, which were placed under mandatory evacuation orders, Tappas said.
More than 200 firefighters kept the flames from damaging any structures, and officials were looking to repopulate the communities within the hour, Williams said just after 5 a.m.
An evacuation center was set up for those impacted by the fire at Malibu City Hall.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but it was deemed suspicious due to the circumstances in which it started, Tappas said.
from KTLA http://ift.tt/2Fpmcg2
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