Originally Posted By DlandDug A wildfire broke out in Los Angeles' Griffith Park around 1:30 this afternoon. The park is over 3,000 acres. About 150 acres are affected by the fire. The Zoo was evacuated earlier today. They just announced that with a shift in the wind, firefighters are gathering around the Griffith Park Merry-go-round. Disneyland fans are well aware that this is the very place where Walt Disney would take his daughters on Sunday afternoons in the 1930s. As Walt would sit on a bench, eating peanuts and watching his daughters, he dreamed of a place where parents and children could have fun together. That, of course, was Disneyland. Also of particular concern is the Los Angeles Live Steamers complex on the north east edge of the park. There you will find the barn that Walt had built as the centerpiece of his live steam Carolwood Pacific miniature railroad. Many consider this barn the birthplace of Walt Disney Imagineering. Walt designed Tom Sawyer Island in there over a weekend. So far the Live Steamers complex has not been threatened by the fire. And it appears that the Merry-go-round is well protected. I know we all hope they will be safe once this fire is out!
Originally Posted By mousegrl On the news it looked freakishly close to the Griffith Observatory. I hope it was just the angle of the camera. And this right after they did that super expensive renovation...
Originally Posted By CoasterKrayzie Looks like they are getting it under control, no real loses. They evacuated a lot of houses as the fire started going towards the observatory. Hopefully they will get in under control before winds pick it back up.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig At the time of writing this, about 11:50 pm, the fire seems to be raging in the southern half of the park, looming over the homes north of Los Feliz drive. The Zoo was evacuated, but the animals are still there and there are caretakers there looking over them. The zoo does not seem to be threatened, although the smoke from the fire is probably not too good for the animals. The Merry-go-round has been saved from harm. Something called "Dante's View", a garden type feature, has been destroyed. Tom LaBonge (City Councilman who's district includes Griffith Park) says it was destroyed by fire once before, and rebuilt, and that it will be rebuilt again. A bridge that supposedly was part of the equestrian riding trails has been destroyed. Thus far, I don't know if any other amenities have been destroyed. Griffith Observatory is pretty safe from harm, due to its non-flammable materials. The same can not be said for the structures at LA Live Steamers, including Walt's Barn, which would be very much in danger if the fire moves their way. So far, the fire seems to be on the south side of the park, and the Zoo, the Gene Autry Museum, the Live Steamers complex and Walt's Barn, and Traveltown, are all on the north side of the park. Hopefully, the winds will not pick up or change direction and the firefighters can get this thing knocked down before it moves northward or further southward. Reports are that there was a heavily burned man who came down off the hill near the point of origin. Latest word is that he may have been a homeless guy who fell asleep on the hillside with a lit cigarette, only to wake up to find himself on fire and the adjacent hillside up in flames.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Thanks for the update, Arch. I was coming here to say pretty much the same. When Walt's barn was moved to LALS in Griffith Park, the county required that the wood shake roof be replaced with fireproof material. I understand the wisdom of this demand!
Originally Posted By DlandDug The fire is still active this morning. 300 acres have now been affected. No landmarks are currently threatened. A section of Los Feliz has been evacuated. It appears to be near the area where Walt Disney lived on Woking Way.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>When Walt's barn was moved to LALS in Griffith Park, the county required that the wood shake roof be replaced with fireproof material. I understand the wisdom of this demand!<<< True. I was involved in the relocation efforts. From an aesthetic standpoint, it was sad to have to go to a man made roof shingle over the original wood shake roof, but it was indeed the best course of action. We did our best to choose a composite shingle that looked as good as possible. There actually is a "Class A" (which is the top fire resistance rating for a roof) treated wood shake product available, which also includes a fire resistant barrier underneath the shingles. But this product was not approved by the City of Los Angeles at the time the barn was moved, and I don't know if it is approved to this day or not. The thing about treated wood is that the treatment disappears over time.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Now Catalina Island is on fire. <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5293240" target="_blank">http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/st ory?section=local&id=5293240</a>
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>Does anyone in LA have a shake roof still? You'd have to be crazy...<<< There are still some, and yes, it's crazy. I think they are older roofs that are grandfathered in. Unlikely that the City would pass an ordinance forcing owners to replace existing roofs because they don't comply with more recent ordinances. Wood shakes are not allowed for anything newly installed.
Originally Posted By jonvn On a similar note, Allstate just announced they will no longer sell house insurance in CA, as it is too disaster prone.
Originally Posted By knightnfrees <<Allstate just announced they will no longer sell house insurance in CA, as it is too disaster prone.>> Allstate...except California. S'pose they'll have to change their name, huh?
Originally Posted By EdisYoda Allstate doesn't sell auto insurance in Massachusetts either (or at least they didn't when I moved away in 2000)
Originally Posted By Disneyman55 Is Catalina still burning? Man that is a bummer. I hope they can keep the little city on the island from burning, there were some great B&B's there and some good memories. I hope y'all's fire season is short and boring this year. I was in El Cajon when the big fire roared up in 2003. That was miserable. Fire made it to within 1/2 mile of where I was living. Thank God I moved to Texas, where we have received over 12 inches of rain in the last 3 months. Everything is green and beautiful and the odds of a fire is zilch. Gotta love it!
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Except the tornados in Texas can kinda ruin your day. The Catalina fire is under control. So far, no historic structures have been lost. One home was burned, but resources that were brought in to fight the fire are leaving.
Originally Posted By alexbook >><<Allstate just announced they will no longer sell house insurance in CA, as it is too disaster prone.>> Allstate...except California. S'pose they'll have to change their name, huh? << They're also getting out of the home insurance business in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, and New Jersey, but they want to continue selling auto insurance. I'm guessing we'll see state legislators holding hearings and press conferences.
Originally Posted By Disneyman55 No kidding SingleParkPassholder, tornados are no fun. I now live in Lubbock which took a direct hit from an F-5 (also known as the Finger Of God) in 1970. These people are still jumpy. Great thing about tornados versus wildfires and earthquakes is the amount of area affected. No place is perfect, but I still hate wildfires. I think I would rather deal with hail and tornados any day.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder I grew up in Chicago, where tornado watches and warnings in the summertime were a way of life. I must have either been in or on the periphery of half a dozen tornados in the eight years I was there. Living here in Southern California now, there's the perpetual debate about tornados vs. earthquakes. I'd rather endure a tornado. At least there's some warning when they're coming.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>I'd rather endure a tornado. At least there's some warning when they're coming.<<< We can construct buildings to resist earthquakes. We can even construct them to resist hurricane force winds, but you'll probably have to put a new roof surfacing on them. We can't construct buildings to resist tornadoes using conventional construction methods. Tornado winds are just too intense and pinpointed. And we can't do much to prevent major damage to buildings that are built in low lying flood prone areas. All in all, I'll take earthquakes over any of the other major natural disaster types. At least we're learning how to mitigate their forces.
