Community Corner

UPDATE: Firefighters Contain Calabasas Fire

A burning Volkswagen Beetle on the side of the Ventura (101) Freeway spread flames to adjacent brush, closing the westbound freeway briefly west of Las Virgenes Road.

As of 6:30 p.m., the Malibu Emergency Operation Center reported the fire was "knocked down at 170 acres" and that fire crews will remain on the scene throughout the night.

As of 5:45 p.m., the Malibu EOC  reported the fire is about 40 percent contained with no progress towards Malibu.

As of 5:41 p.m., Los Angeles County Firefighter Bernie Deyo reported on twitter (and Kyle Sanford, dispatch with the LAFD confirmed) the fire spanned 170 + acres. 

The Los Angeles Lost Hills Sheriff's Department at about 5:10 p.m. said no evacuations had been ordered but additional LASD deputies have been brought in and prepared just in case evacuation is needed. 

The fire was reported on the north side of the freeway, between Las Virgenes and Lost Hills roads, at 2:52 p.m.

By 3:25 p.m., it had burned up a hillside into grassy wildlands.

All five lanes of the westbound freeway -- also known as U.S. 101 north - - were blocked. Traffic quickly backed up into Calabasas, where the freeway was closed by the CHP.

A massive traffic jam ensued, as there are no major alternative routes from the San Fernando Valley to the Thousand Oaks area.

At about 3:30, the CHP reopened just one westbound lane, and they issued a SigAlert as they predicted the other three lanes would be closed for several hours as firefighters worked on the burning hillside.

-City News Service contributed to this report


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