Calabasas fire threatens 2 homes, burns 40 acres
Winds are fueling a fast-moving brush fire near Malibu Creek State Park south of the 101 Freeway. Some residents are evacuating.
A fast-moving brush fire fueled by winds has consumed at least 40 acres in Calabasas and is immediately threatening at least two homes, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Frank Garrido.
Voluntary evacuations are being recommended and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies are patrolling the streets and alerting residents.
Firefighters said some residents were gathering their belongings and leaving voluntarily.
The fire was reported about 12:05 p.m. on the edge of Malibu Creek State Park south of the 101 Freeway.
More than 200 firefighters and four aircraft were battling the blaze this afternoon, Garrido said.
The California Highway Patrol closed access ramps to the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon this afternoon and urged drivers to avoid the area because clouds of dark smoke have reduced visibility, CHP Officer Jose Nunez said.
"The 101 will not be closed unless it starts jumping," Nunez said of the fire.
The flames are a quarter-mile south of the freeway but spreading to the northwest, he said.
Agoura Hills Mayor John Edelston, who went to check on the situation and speak with firefighters this afternoon, said the blaze broke out in a popular recreation area with above-ground power lines where wildfires often erupted in the past.
"Frequently it's just careless people, whether an ATVer or someone with a cigarette, or even power lines," Edelston said. "It's just ripe" for fire, he said.
Garrido said it was not immediately evident what caused the fire.
andrew.blankstein@latimes.com
molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
