Topanga Canyon Road Still Blocked And Powerless

MALIBU, CA —Much of Topanga Canyon Boulevard remains closed to traffic and without power Tuesday afternoon, after a vehicle crashing into a pole caused a two-acre brush fire and mass power outages Monday night.

According to Sigalert.com, Topanga Canyon Road remains closed from Pacific Coast Highway to Fernwood Pacific Drive as of 3 p.m. Tuesday. According to Southern California Edison, 22 customers along the road still lack power as of 2:23 p.m. Tuesday.

A brush fire sparked by a traffic accident scorched about two acres along the road Monday evening before the fire's progress was stopped by firefighters. The fire is also suspected to have caused a power outage that affected 1000 people along Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

LA County Fire Department Supervisor Pittman told the Malibu Times that he believes live wires down caused the outage, and a flaming electrical box caused the blaze. "Looks like it was a traffic collision in which a vehicle struck a pole and it looks like the electrical box was on fire and touched off some brush," Pittman told The Times.

The blaze was reported about 9:15 p.m. near Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Fernwood Pacific Drive. about 2.5 miles north of Pacific Coast Highway, when a vehicle crash sparked a fire that spread into nearby brush, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

About 10 p.m., the fire department reported progress of the fire had been stopped and crews would remain on scene to mop-up any hot spots.

"Looks like it was a traffic collision in which a vehicle struck a pole and it looks like the electrical box was on fire and touched off some brush," Pittman said. The Lost Hills Sheriff's Station reported that SCE crews arrived to de-energize the wires.

The fire prompted the closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard from Pacific Coast Highway to Old Topanga Canyon Road until further notice, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Malibu/Lost Hills station reported. As of Tuesday morning at 10:40 a.m., all lanes are still closed in both directions from PCH to Fernwood Pacific Drive, according to Caltrans and California Highway Patrol.

No injuries were immediately reported, and no structures were reported damaged.

— City News Service and Patch staffer Michael Wittner contributed to this report.