Thousands In Malibu Remain Evacuated As Power Poles Are Replaced
MALIBU (CBSLA) – Some Malibu residents still remained evacuated Saturday, days after the Woolsey Fire was full contained, because utility crews were working to repair and replace burned and downed power poles.
"There is still a lot of work to be done," Los Angeles County Fire spokesman Pono Barnes told the Los Angeles Times. "There was quite a bit of infrastructure damaged during the burn." As many as 2,000 power poles have been replaced, Barnes said.
Most of the 4,000 people who remained evacuated were from scattered areas of Malibu and surrounding unincorporated areas, Barnes said.
As areas are repopulated, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials remind people to stay vigilant of areas impacted by the fires as firefighters, road crews and others work on completing their assignments. Intermittent power outages should be expected as workers restore power in affected areas.
With the nearly 97,000-acre blaze fully surrounded by containment lines of cleared vegetation, the number of firefighters assigned to patrol the zone in search of hot spots has been reduced to about 215.
Since erupting Nov. 8 in Ventura County and quickly spreading into Los Angeles County, the fire charred 96,949 acres, destroyed 1,643 structures in both counties and damaged 364 others, with damage assessments completed, Barnes said.
The death toll stands at three civilians, and three firefighters were injured, he said.
"The whole landscape in the area has changed," Barnes said. He urged residents returning to their homes to immediately begin evaluating and mitigating the danger of flooding and debris flows from future rain storms.
Natural gas service has been restored in areas deemed safe, including the Peter Strauss Ranch community, the Oak Forest Mobile Home Park, the Seminole Mobile Home Park, and the vicinity of Morning View Drive and Bonsall Drive in Malibu, according to the Southern California Gas Company.
Residents were urged not to try to restore their own gas service but to contact SoCal Gas or certified contractors to do it. They also were cautioned to watch out for workers restoring services.
Malibu Creek State Park, Solstice Canyon, Upper Solstice Canyon, and Castro Crest will remain closed to all pedestrian and vehicle traffic indefinitely.
"Many known and unknown hazards exist following an intense fire," Deputy Armando Viera Jr. of the Sheriff's Information Bureau said. "This includes fire weakened or dead trees that can fall without warning, burned out stumps creating holes under trails, damage to parking areas and roads, and damaged or destroyed structures."
Some road closures remained in effect in the Malibu and unincorporated county areas. They include Mulholland Highway west of Seminole Drive, at Country Ranch and at Calamigos, Kanan Dume and Little Sycamore Canyon and Chesebro Road is closed at the damaged bridge between Driver Avenue and Balkins Drive.
Disaster Assistance Centers in Malibu and Agoura Hills had their mission extended to help residents affected by the blaze. The centers are located at the former Malibu Courthouse at 23525 Civic Center Way, and at the Conrad L. Hilton Foundation, 30440 Agoura Road, in Agoura Hills.
The centers will be open through Dec. 8, during the following hours:
–Monday-Thursday: 1-8 p.m.
–Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
–Closed on Sundays
At the centers, fire victims can get help replacing lost records, filing insurance claims, applying for FEMA assistance and getting information on property cleanup, repair and rebuilding.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District updated its tentative schedule of school openings on its website. Webster Elementary is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, followed by Point Dume Marine Science on Dec. 3, Juan Cabrillo Elementary between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 and Malibu High School between Dec. 4 and Dec. 10.
Additional fire information for Los Angeles County can be found at Woolsey Fire. Malibu also has a website with updated fire information here.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
