This page is referenced by:

• 1 2022-12-02T11:35:32-08:00 Malibu Fire, 1958 3 plain 2022-12-02T11:40:28-08:00 Taken on December 3, 1958, this photograph depicts a man standing on a fire engine, parked off the side of Malibu Canyon Road. A sign that reads “Coral Beach Cafe” hangs above him; below is the little shack cafe.[1] The man is looking out into the distance, where the hill in front of him is aflame. The fire began that day, December 3, and lasted until December 7.[2] Due to high winds, low humidity, and an abundance of fuel, the Los Angeles Examiner reported that “Flames erupted in crackling brush east of Malibu...” and quickly spread through the area.[3]
  
  Since excess brush on the ground made it especially easy for the fire to ignite, Supervisor Burton W. Chace in Malibu stated that it was “a vital necessity” to create a new law on clearing brush near homes.[4] This shows the policy alterations that could occur after a fire. The small community of Malibu was shaken up due to the losses in “...house trailers, sheds, fences, bridges, ranch buildings, vehicles, animals, feed, and personal property.”[5] By December 6, the Los Angeles Examiner concluded that “Loss in damaged or destroyed homes and cabins is expected to reach more than $237,000.”[6] Due to inflation, this equals over $2.3 million today. This number proves that the fire did not cause mass destruction. Although in 1958, this was enough to instill fear in the citizens of Malibu.
   

  ---

  [1] USC Library website: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2A3BXZSZL00MM&SMLS=1&RW=1440&R H=789&FR_=1&W=1440&H=789 
  
  [2] “Big Blaze in Last Stages,” Los Angeles Examiner (December 6, 1958), Los Angeles Examiner Clippings Collection, University of Southern California Special Collections.
  
  [3] “Malibu Lake Blaze Recalls ‘56 Disaster,” Los Angeles Examiner (December 3, 1958), Los Angeles Examiner Clippings Collection, University of Southern California Special Collections
  
  [4] “New Fire Hazard Law” Proposed,” Los Angeles Examiner (December 10, 1958), Los Angeles Examiner Clippings Collection, University of Southern California Special Collections
  
  [5] “Big Blaze in Last Stages,” Los Angeles Examiner (December 6, 1958), Los Angeles Examiner Clippings Collection, University of Southern California Special Collections.
  
  [6] “Big Blaze in Last Stages,” Los Angeles Examiner (December 6, 1958), Los Angeles Examiner Clippings Collection, University of Southern California Special Collections.