Malibu-Calabasas Fires: Crews Get Handle On Stokes Fire, Topanga Fire 20 Percent Contained

CALABASAS, CA — Firefighters for a second day fought two multi-alarm brush fires within nine miles from one another -- one near Calabasas and another in the Topanga area.

The Calabasas fire, dubbed the Stokes Fire was 80 percent contained Friday and had scorched 42 acres, according to Cal Fire.

In Malibu, firefighters had the Topanga Fire 20 percent contained at 30 acres, according to Cal Fire. Air tankers were called in to help as wind fanned the flames Friday afternoon.

One firefighter suffered a minor heat-related injury but no structures have been threatened by the fires, which broke out within minutes of one another Thursday afternoon. There were no reports of injuries to civilians, authorities said.

The Stokes Fire -- was reported at 2:54 p.m. Thursday near Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road and went to three alarms, with more than 220 firefighters deployed at one point, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The Topanga fire was reported at 3:09 p.m. Thursday near Topanga Canyon Boulevard, north of Pacific Coast Highway, in the unincorporated Topanga area, and quickly went to two alarms.

The blaze sparked a 5-acre brush spot fire that was extinguished, a department inspector said. It forced the closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard about one-half mile from PCH, authorities said. There were also temporary closures of Pacific Coast Highway around Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

The Los Angeles Fire Department, which was in unified command with county firefighters on the Topanga-area blaze, sent ground and air crews and firefighters were also dispatched to Coastline Drive to protect homes.

City News Service contributed to this report. File photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department