Griffith Park is on fire. Started above the Greek theater, which has been evacuated, along with the zoo, the Autry museum, the observatory, and the merry-go-round. AFAIK, none of those places have burned yet, but the fire is “25% contained”, whatever that means. They have a guy in custody; don’t know if it was accidental.
We may have overnight guests because of this. Right about now, they’re probably finding out if they have to be evacuated or not. Jamahl said he’s already put his computer in the car, and Brian is deciding which pieces of art to save. Hope it doesn’t come to that.
It seems like some of them have been natural and others set. I haven’t followed them that closely, but just noted that there have been a lot. Now that I’m curious though I may do some more research.
And I’m really sorry. I live a few blocks from a zoo that is combined with a farm/museum. I used to be a volunteer there and I’m very attached to it – not to mentioned concerned about the animals!
“Contained” in brush or forest fire lingo means fire fighters have gotten into position to attack the edge of the fire. If the fire is 25% contained, there are fire fighters around 25% of the fire’s perimeter.
Griffith Park is very hilly with steep, brush-choked canyons. It has been very hot in LA these last few days, and windy with low humidity. This past winter we only got about three inches of rain. Average rainfall is fourteen and a half inches, so the stage is set for a very rough summer.
Last report I heard was that winds were dying down a bit. They also said a person had been taken in for questioning, supposedly a golfer (there are two golf courses in the park) who dropped or tossed a cigarette.
Driving from Pasadena to Burbank tonight, I got a spectacular view of the flames from the 210/134. It didn’t look like they were in any position to threaten either the zoo or the Autry–they were further south than that. [pessimist] But given the tinderbox conditions, oily eucalyptus trees, and winds, that could change quickly. [/pessimist]