Map of the Woolsey Fire at 9:50 p.m. PST November 10, 2018. Click to enlarge.
(Originally published at 6:28 a.m. PST November 10, 2018)
The Woolsey Fire advanced to the Pacific Ocean Friday, spreading 15 miles south from Simi Valley to Malibu. A 15-mile long section of the coastal communities were invaded by flames, which then crossed the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) along a five-mile stretch near the Mulholland Highway and Decker Road. An unknown number of multimillion dollar mansions and more modest homes succumbed to the fire as about 200,000 residents evacuated from 75,000 homes in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, and other areas. The Los Angeles County Fire Department PIO said at 6:52 p.m. Friday, “…very significant number of homes in the operational area damaged or destroyed by fire”, and that it had burned approximately 35,000 acres.
(To see all articles about the Woolsey Fire on Wildfire Today, including the most recent, click here.)
Fire at the beach threatens structures above. KTLA.
A mapping flight Friday night at 9:50 determined that the fire had burned 89,906 acres, but it was still spreading.
There have been no confirmed reports of fatalities.
There were reports that the fire was very close to Pepperdine University in Malibu near the PCH and Las Virgenes Road, but the University tweeted at 3:34 a.m. that they were OK.
Los Angeles County Fire strike teams and air operations are working to contain the flames around the Malibu campus. No permanent structures have been lost, and all individuals on campus remain safe in relocation sites. #pepperdine #woolseyfire
— Pepperdine University (@pepperdine) November 10, 2018
@FirePhotoGirl broadcast live video from the general area of Pepperdine at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Hill and Woosley Fires started Thursday evening.
(UPDATED at 4:48 p.m. PST November 9, 2018)
Map showing the APPROXIMATE, ESTIMATED perimeter of the Woolsey Fire at 1:04 p.m. November 9, 2018. Click to enlarge.
Disclaimer: Above is a very, very rough map showing the APPROXIMATE location of the Woolsey Fire that has burned from Simi Valley south to Malibu in Southern California. It is based on heat sensing data from a satellite flying hundreds of miles above the earth which is not always 100 percent accurate. It is possible that the fire burned through some areas of light vegetation, such as grass, then self-extinguished and cooled before the next overflight which occurs about every 12 hours. Some areas that are shown as unburned may not have been detected by the heat sensors and could actually have been burned.
(To see all articles about the Woolsey Fire on Wildfire Today, including the most recent, click here.)
We only produced this estimated perimeter map because as far as we know no government agency has released a one of the Woolsey Fire. If and when they do, it will no doubt be more accurate than this version.
At 1 p.m. Friday, L. A. County reported the fire had burned 14,000 acres. Our very, very rough estimate is approximately 50,000 acres.
(UPDATED at 1:40 p.m. PST November 9, 2018)
The Incident Commander on the Woolsey Fire estimates it has burned about 14,000 acres. The fire started at 2:30 p.m. Thursday east of Simi Valley and was blown by strong Santa Ana winds south across the 101 Freeway Friday morning. It is now approaching the Pacific Ocean, and all of Malibu is under an evacuation order. About 150,000 residents have evacuated. Traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway is extremely congested as people attempt to leave the area.
There is a report that dogs, horses, and pigs have been seen on the beach, taking refuge from the fire.
Satellite photo showing smoke from the Woolsey Fire at Malibu, California. MOODIS.The Woolsey Fire approaches the Pacific coast. KTLAA DC-10 air tanker drops on the Woolsey Fire Nov. 9, 2018. KTLA.
— Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 9, 2018
(Originally published at 11:12 a.m. PST November 9, 2018)
Two large wildfires that started November 8 near Thousand Oaks, California have prompted officials to place 75,000 homes under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
The Woolsey Fire burned over 9,000 acres near Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills north of the 101 Freeway Thursday, but Friday morning it jumped across the highway near Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura. At about 9 a.m. local time the Los Angeles County Fire Department PIO said it was “headed to the ocean”.
Map showing heat detected by a satellite over the Hill and Woolsey Fires at 1:48 a.m. PST November 9, 2018. The arrows indicate the direction the fires spread after the satellite overflight. Click to enlarge.
The Hill Fire also jumped the 101 near Camarillo Springs Road and reached the freeway 12 to 15 minutes after it started, pushed by extreme winds. After crossing the freeway it moved into the scar from the 2013 Springs Fire and slowed considerably due to the lighter fuels. It has burned about 6,100 acres as of Friday morning.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Woolsey Fire south of the 101 Freeway to the coast — from the Ventura/LA County line east to Malibu Canyon Road, including areas in Malibu.
A resident of Malibu, @TracyWrights, tweeted Friday morning:
The power is out in #Malibu. We had NO IDEA any evacuation order was in place until we got in the car and heard the news on @KNX1070. Our community does NOT KNOW to get out and PCH is now gridlocked for miles. #Woolseyfire
The Ventura County FD PIO said at about 1 a.m. Friday that multiple structures were burning near Erbes Road and Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.
Both fires started in Ventura County but the Woolsey Fire crossed into Los Angeles County near the 101.
Satellite photo showing smoke from the Woolsey Fire at 10:42 a.m. PST November 9, 2018. Click to enlarge.
Maps that show the distribution of wildfire smoke in California can be found here.
The Saddlerock weather station between Thousand oaks and Malibu recorded overnight winds out of the northeast of 12 to 15 mph gusting to 25, but they increased after sunrise with sustained winds of 18 gusting to 33 mph. The forecast calls for the wind speeds to decrease Friday afternoon.
