Bel-Air Fire
 On a warm November morning in 1961, a Sherman Oaks construction crew, working just north of Bel-Air, noticed smoke and flames coming from a nearby pile of rubbish. Within minutes, Santa Ana winds swept burning embers from roof to roof, spreading fire across the affluent enclaves of the Santa Monica Mountains. With the help of the telecopter and intrepid reporters on the ground, KTLA aired continuous coverage of the fire. Despite efforts of more than 2,500 firefighters, by the next afternoon the blaze had consumed nearly 16,000 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 3,500 residents. The lush Bel-Air canyons were covered in ash, the hills burned bare. Before it was contained less than two days after it started, it destroyed nearly 500 homes worth about $30 million. Thankfully, no lives were lost.
Click for video
Adapted from a Los Angeles Times story by Cecilia Rasmussen.
|
