25-Acre Blaze Breaks Out, Threatens Topanga Canyon Before Firefighters Get Upper Hand

UPDATED with latest: Firefighters had “gotten the upper hand” on a 25-acre fire in Topanga Canyon by about 5 p.m., according to a post from the nearby City of Calabasas. Topanga Canyon Boulevard had also been reopened, though traffic was expected to be slow.

The last estimate of containment late in the afternoon was 20% .

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PREVIOUSLY at 3:16 p.m.: With temperatures hovering between 90 and 100 degrees, a 2-alarm fire broke out in Topanga Canyon at about 2 p.m. this afternoon. Dubbed the Owen Fire, the blaze was pegged at 50 acres by 3 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

That estimate was later reduced to 25 acres shortly before 4 p.m. by the City of Malibu Public Safety Department, which also reported the blaze at 10% contained.

The Owen Fire is said to be burning near Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Santa Maria Road toward the north side of the canyon. Topanga Canyon Boulevard has been closed between Pacific Coast Highway and Mulholland Drive. There are reports of some structures being threatened.

“Keeping a VERY close eye on this one folks… it is already spotting despite only 5-8mph winds,” ABC7 helicopter reporter Chris Cristi wrote on Twitter.

Winds are not expected to get much heavier today, though they are forecast to shift out of the east after sunset, which does tend to funnel wildfires down the canyon. Luckily, those winds are expected to be very light, about 3 mph.

Meanwhile in Santa Clarita north of Los Angeles, firefighters continue to battle a blaze that has blackened hundreds of acres and was, as of this morning, only 10% contained. Dubbed the Agua Fire, that incident grew overnight due to “step terrain and difficult access,” according to the Angeles National Forest Twitter account. The Agua Fire stood at 421 acres this morning with 275 personnel attached to it. Road closures included Soledad Canyon Road between Agua Dulce Road and Crown Valley Road, which is where Tippi Hedren’s Shambala big cat preserve is.

Developing…

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