Campfire Suspected in 40-Acre Blaze
A brush fire that erupted before dawn Monday in a Topanga Canyon clearing that teen-agers use as a hangout scorched 40 acres and shut down a canyon road but damaged no structures, authorities said.
The fire began about 3:50 a.m. near Old Topanga Canyon and Zuniga roads. By 7 a.m., about 200 firefighters had circled the blaze, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Lopez said. One minor injury to a firefighter was reported.
The fire’s cause was not known, but an illegal campfire was suspected.
The blaze started at a local landmark known as “the swings,” a clearing in a brushy and wooded area that sheriff’s deputies regularly patrol to clear out young people who go there to drink, light bonfires and play on swings installed on several trees, a sheriff’s deputy said.
The fire closed Old Topanga Canyon Road between Mulholland Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
