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California Burning: Photographs from the Los Angeles Examiner

Hollywood Hills Fire, 1961

This is an image of the Hollywood Hills Fire of 1961. This fire took place in an upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles known as Beverly Hills[1]. Dry and hot weather accompanied by gusting winds caused this fire to spread rapidly. Damage was extensive and expensive[2]. The fire burned over 180 houses and caused around 2,000 residents of nearby homes to evacuate. Even soon-to-be president Richard Nixon, was forced out of his luxurious home[3]. The fire brought the famous Griffith Park Observatory and Griffith Park Zoo under serious threat; however, they remained safe[4]. Although the fire brought serious risk and destroyed many homes, no casualties were reported[5].

In order to contain the fire, firefighters had to use some unorthodox methods, including draining a resident’s pool and using the water to spray on the fire[6]. Eventually, the firefighters received help from planes with water-bombs flying overhead[7]. The fire was officially put out on May 14, 1961[8].

[1] "186 Houses Destroyed in Plush District: FIRE RAGES IN HOLLYWOOD HILLS Nixon Flees; Celebrities Lose Homes." The Globe and Mail (1936-), Nov 07, 1961, pp. 1.

[2] "FIRE UNDER CONTROL: HOLLYWOOD, MAY 14." South China Morning Post (1946-), May 15, 1961, pp. 7.

[3] "186 Houses Destroyed in Plush District: FIRE RAGES IN HOLLYWOOD HILLS Nixon Flees; Celebrities Lose Homes." The Globe and Mail (1936-), Nov 07, 1961, pp. 1.

[4] "Planes Help Hem Luxury-Home Fire: Castle in Hollywood Hills Ruined; Zoo Periled for Time; Animals Safe." The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution (1950-1968), May 14, 1961, pp. 21.

[5] "186 Houses Destroyed in Plush District: FIRE RAGES IN HOLLYWOOD HILLS Nixon Flees; Celebrities Lose Homes." The Globe and Mail (1936-), Nov 07, 1961, pp. 1.

[6] "186 Houses Destroyed in Plush District: FIRE RAGES IN HOLLYWOOD HILLS Nixon Flees; Celebrities Lose Homes." The Globe and Mail (1936-), Nov 07, 1961, pp. 1.

[7] "Planes Help Hem Luxury-Home Fire: Castle in Hollywood Hills Ruined; Zoo Periled for Time; Animals Safe." The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution (1950-1968), May 14, 1961, pp. 21.

[8] "FIRE UNDER CONTROL: HOLLYWOOD, MAY 14." South China Morning Post (1946-), May 15, 1961, pp. 7.

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3. Brush fire (Rio Hondo fire), 1951 Depicted is a brush fire emerging in Rio Hondo, a tributary of Los Angeles County whose name derives from the 'deep river' - Rio Hondo - that runs parallel to the San Gabriel River. Even as an area of land named after a body of water, fires still manage to ravage the land, and the efforts to mitigate this state of emergency caused no shortage of worry and damage. The fire spread rapidly through the brushes upon it's kindling, burning more than 50 acres of land and damaging two houses within a few hours [1]. The dry climate helped propagate the fire and spread embers to rooftops where the smoldering did most of its damage [5]. While the fire fortunately maintained itself within the riverbed [4], it didn't make the lives of the Los Angeles Fire Department easy. They had to storm together a 10 unit battalion that aggregated teams from Whitter and the State Department of Forestry to contain the flame. Shown in the image is the efforts of the fire department mobilizing to eliminate the flame. To that end they were able to shut down the fire in two hours, even deploying tractors with dozer blades in order to eliminate the immediate presence of fuel. While the nature of the fire was calmed quickly, quantifiable amounts of damage were done to the surroundings, and fire fighters were dispatched throughout the night to ensure embers didn't form again [1]. Fires like these continued to strike the area, and in 2005, volunteers and Angeles Chapter Staff came together to form a campaign called the Emerald Necklace which aims to plant trees and brushes that reinstate the park experience that perhaps once existed in the area [6].
4. Chatsworth Brush Fires, 1957
14. Warner Brothers Studio Fire (Burbank), 1952

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