Second Brush Fire Hits Via de las Olas Bluffs

By ALEXANDRIA BORDAS | Reporter

Merely two days after a raging fire started by homeless individuals engulfed 2.5 acres of the hillside below the Via de las Olas bluffs, a second fire in the same area started shortly before noon and burned less than an acre of brush on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The 15500 block of Via de las Olas was overwhelmed with smoke and water as 81 firefighters and three helicopters from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) fought the fire for over an hour until the fire was extinguished.

“The fire was in the same spot as last time and was rekindled due to strong winds,” said firefighter Dave Arellano from Station 37, which was called in for support.

LAFD Fire Inspector John Novela was scouting the area earlier in the day to see which areas would be best to install “no illegal camping” signs when he saw smoke and bright flames.

“I was walking around the bluff perimeter and all of a sudden I saw the brush going up in flames. There was heavy smoke drifting across the street toward the houses,” Novela told the Palisadian-Post on scene. “I called the dispatcher to report the fire and then checked to make sure residents were okay.”

Ironically, just before that, Novela had been meeting at Station 69 with LAFD Asst. Chief Patrick Butler, Battalion 9 Chief Antoine McKnight, Sharon Shapiro from Councilmember Mike Bonin’s office and Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness Chair Maryam Zar to discuss strategies to prevent this from happening again.

Following the planning meeting, Zar drove to the hillside to see the fire and told the Post, “They’ve come up with a great plan (to prevent future fires).”

Palisadian resident George Raetz was in his study when he heard helicopters flying overhead and said his thoughts immediately jumped to the homeless people living in the area below.

“There should be consequences for them loitering and illegally burning things,” Raetz told the Post.

Residents in surrounding houses could be seen running out their front doors covering their faces.

Susan MeInerney, who lives in the area, said she and her neighbors have had their cars loaded with passports, photo albums and other personal items since Sunday in case they needed to evacuate.

Roger Potash was walking down the hillside inspecting the damage from Sunday’s fire when he saw smoke.

“I saw a little white smoke at the base of a tree and then all of a sudden it was a flame. I ran up the hill and yelled ‘9-1-1’ because I didn’t have my phone with me,” said Potash, who is a resident of Via de las Olas.

Rick Bota has been a resident of the Palisades for 20 years and was driving around the bluffs when he noticed the fire.

“We’re really lucky these are the only two fires we’ve had this year, what with the droughts and everything,” Bota told the Post. “There are encampments all over this area with people living without restrictions. We need enforcement.”

Additional reporting by Dayna Drum and Frances Sharpe