Calabasas Fire: Fire Spreads to 500 Acres; Some Evacuation Orders Lifted

UPDATED 7 a.m. June 5, 2016

CALABASAS, CA - A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter is expected to fly above the scene of a brush fire in Calabasas this morning to determine an approximate time of when a fire that has consumed about 516 acre in Calabasas will be contained.

The helicopter is expected to fly out about 7 a.m., according to Los Angeles County Supervising Dispatcher Michael Pittman.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, 30 percent of the fire is contained. Two residence suffered minor damage and a commercial building was destroyed.

Mandatory evacuations for Topanga Canyon remain in effect. All other evacuation orders have been lifted.

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Updated at 11 p.m. June 4, 2014 in 6

CALABASAS, CA - Dozens of fire units from Los Angeles County and city departments were battling a brush fire that threatened about 3,000 homes in Calabasas on Saturday, authorities said.

As of 11:15 p.m., the fire was estimated to be 400 acres in size, and just 15 percent contained.

Around a half-dozen neighborhoods in the path of the fire were evacuated, including mandatory evacuations at Calabasas Highlands, Eddingham and Adamsville and voluntary evacuations in adjacent areas, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Roland Sprewell.

The fires were reported just after 4 p.m., authorities said. Two blazes were reported in the area of Mulholland Highway and Old Topanga Canyon Road in Calabasas and one was at Kittridge Street and Valley Circle in West Hills, authorities said.

The Calabasas fire has consumed more 200 acres, Sprewell said. There is no official containment but the flames are "lying down" as the breeze dies down and nighttime humidity rises.

"Multiple" structures have been damaged, Sprewell said. He could not say to what extent the structures were damaged.

Up to 1,000 fire personnel were assigned to the blaze, Sprewell said. They include Los Angeles County firefighters and mutual aide from Los Angeles city, Ventura and other area departments. Some may be released during the night because the fire "has died down quite a bit," he said.

The flames were expected to flare up again in the morning, Sprewell said.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury, he said.

The cause was still under investigation. A vehicle hit a pole at 4:06 p.m., downing lines and causing outages, David Song of Southern California Edison said, but he left it to fire officials to determine if the downed power lines were linked to the blaze. About 180 customers were without power, and Edison will try to restore it in the early morning.

Video from news helicopters overhead showed water drops from fire helicopters and tankers over Calabasas homes to prevent the nearby flames from spreading to them.

Fixed wing aircraft were released from the fire due to nightfall, authorities said. Three helicopters have night vision capabilities but have less water capacity than tankers.

Evacuation centers were set up at Agoura High School 28545 W. Driver Ave. and at Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills for people with animals, Sprewell said.

The California Highway Patrol has issued a SigAlert closing Topanga Canyon Boulevard from Pacific Coast Highway and Cezanne Avenue due to the brush fire.

At about 6:20 p.m., the LAFD's Margaret Stewart reported flames had been doused at the West Hills blaze.

--City News Service and Patch reports, File photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Fire Department