Skirball Fire: 50 Percent Contained; Some Evacuations Lifted

LOS ANGELES, CA — While some Skirball Fire evacuees in Bel Air had nothing to return home to, other exhausted residents returned Thursday night, stunned by how close they came to losing everything. The 475-acre fire had come to their door steps, literally melting welcome mats.

Firefighters worked methodically and exhaustively, taking stances along Bel Air homes and fighting the flames back. Crews managed to contain fire's destruction to 475-acres Thursday, halting all forward progress. Firefighters Friday made progress, and the fire is considered 50 percent contained.

Many were just glad they made it out, including dozens of retired nuns living at the Carondelet Center in the Sepulveda Pass. The Sisters of St. Joseph were forced to evacuate, and they were taken in by nursing homes around the region, but many simply went home with the center's staff the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We don’t want to take the risk and put them through this again if we’re asked to evacuate again,” nursing home administrator Sister Anne McMullen told the Times. “So this was the safest and most comfortable option we could think of.”

Constance Fitzgerald, 104, and her younger sister Ann Fitzgerald, 102, were moved to the Nazareth House in Culver City.

“I’m more concerned for people whose homes were in the path of the fire,” Ann told the newspaper.

The fire, which was reported at 4:52 a.m. Wednesday on the east side of the San Diego (405) Freeway near Mulholland Drive, has scorched about 475 acres, destroyed four homes and damaged 12 others while prompting the evacuation of about 700 homes and an apartment building. It was 20 percent contained as of Thursday night.

Despite Thursday's strong Santa Ana winds, lesser gusts allowed firefighters to make progress containing the blaze.

One firefighter suffered neck burns and was treated at a hospital, authorities said.

Red flag parking restrictions meant to keep Los Angeles streets open for firefighting equipment will expire at 8 a.m. Friday, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas.

The fire has been kept to the east side of the freeway.

Evacuation orders covered a large area bounded by Mulholland Drive to the north, Sunset Boulevard to the south, the 405 to the west and Roscomare Road on the east. The exception to the evacuation order was the Bel- Air Crest housing development, which was not threatened, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place Friday for residents north of the 1000 block of Linda Flora Drive, south of 1894 Linda Flora Drive, and a stretch of Moraga Drive north of the security gate entrance.

Casino Road, south of Stephen S. Wise Temple, is open to residents only. Stretches of Bellagio and Casiano roads from Moraga Drive were also opened Friday.

Evacuation orders covered a large area bounded by Mulholland Drive to the north, Sunset Boulevard to the south, the San Diego Freeway to the west and Roscomare Road on the east.

The Getty Center and the nearby Skirball Center, both on the west side of the freeway, did not appear to be threatened, though both remained closed Thursday. Getty officials said both museums will reopen Friday.

UCLA, Cal State Northridge, Los Angeles Valley College and Santa Monica College all canceled classes Thursday. UCLA officials said university medical facilities remained open, and classes and campus activities were to resume at all four schools Friday.

All Los Angeles Unified School District schools in the San Fernando Valley and some on the west side of Los Angeles -- a total of 265 district schools and charter schools -- were closed Thursday and will remain shuttered Friday. A full list of closed schools is available at www.lausd.net.

To assist families affected by the closures, the LAUSD planned to set up special centers between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with meals available for students, at:

• Byrd Middle School, 8501 Arleta Ave. in Sun Valley;
• Reseda High School, 18230 Kittridge St. in Reseda; and
• Palms Middle School, 10860 Woodbine St. in the Palms district.

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District closed all of its schools Wednesday and Thursday. Schools in Santa Monica were expected to reopen Friday, but Malibu schools will remain closed, the district announced.

The fire was burning in the same general area as the devastating Bel- Air Fire of 1961. That blaze destroyed about 500 homes and led to various policy changes, including a prohibition on wood-shingle roofs and the strict requirement to clear brush around properties.

What sparked the Skirball Fire was not immediately determined.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

Photo: Flames sweep up a steep canyon wall, threatening homes on a ridge line as the Skirball wildfire swept through the Bel Air district of Los Angeles Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)