Woolsey fire burns into Malibu, destroying homes - Los Angeles Times

The Woolsey fire barreled into Malibu on Friday afternoon with destructive force, burning dozens of hillside homes as thousands tried fleeing down the gridlocked Pacific Coast Highway.

The fire has destroyed dozens of homes in Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, Bell Canyon and other Ventura County communities and shows no signs of slowing as evacuation orders and anxiety keep spreading. Officials in Malibu warned residents at 12:30 p.m. to leave immediately as flames began burning out of control toward neighborhoods.

Olivia Damavandi, who lives on Murphy Way in Malibu, fled her home late Friday morning with her husband and two children after flames got too close for comfort. At about noon she was on Pacific Coast Highway trying to determine whether she should leave or check on her neighbors.

“I could tell that this is getting serious. You could just see the plumes of smoke,” she said. “I’m just in acceptance — glad my family is safe and everything is replaceable.”

Hidden Hills, a community that hugs the 101 Freeway, was also ordered to evacuate about 1 p.m. as flames approached.

The fire already had done its worst in the neighborhood where Shirley Hertel lives in Thousand Oaks.

The blaze, fueled by dry conditions and extreme winds, has charred 14,000 acres and left a path of destruction and chaos as thousands of people evacuated their homes. The fire also destroyed the historic Western town area at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, where productions including the HBO series “Westworld” have filmed.

Firefighters tried to protect structures in Calabasas as flames drew close to neighborhoods.

In Westlake Village, neighbors watched as smoke rose behind a row of homes on the ridge of a hill Friday morning.

The Woolsey fire along with the nearby Hill fire, which has burned about 6,000 acres in the Santa Rosa Valley area, prompted Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday to declare a state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties on behalf of Gov. Jerry Brown, who was out of the state. Newsom also sent a request to federal officials and President Trump for assistance to support communities affected by the fire. - Read More

Woolsey fire burns into Malibu, destroying homes ... - Los Angeles Times

Woolsey fire burns into Malibu, destroying homes from the Oak Park to the Pacific

Fires in Southern California and Beyond - Los Angeles Times