2 Brush Fires Burn 60 Acres in L.A. Hills

Hot, dry weather provided fertile conditions for a pair of wildfires--one apparently set intentionally--that broke out Wednesday in the foothills above Tarzana and in the Pacific Palisades area, burning a total of about 60 acres.

A Super Scooper and water-dropping helicopters from the Los Angeles city and county fire departments battled the Tarzana blaze, which briefly threatened a group of exclusive homes and consumed about 40 acres before it was extinguished.

The fire, spotted about 2 p.m. in heavy brush near Reseda Boulevard and Mulholland Drive, appears to have been the work of an arsonist, city Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis said.

At its height, about 125 city firefighters were involved, Collis said. One was taken to a hospital after reportedly suffering from heat exhaustion.

Half an hour earlier, another blaze had broken out in a rugged, brushy canyon in the Pacific Palisades area.

By late afternoon, after burning about 20 acres, that fire was “totally under control and contained,” said Battalion Chief Roger Gillis. The closest homes to the fire were more than a mile away, he said. However, late Thursday, flare-ups were reported. The cause of that fire also is under investigation.

Gillis said both fires could have been far worse. “It was hot today, but there were no winds driving the fires,” he said. “That was much to our favor.”

Still, firefighting conditions were not ideal, as temperatures in many areas reached triple digits.

“This is the normal time for the beginning of our Santa Ana season,” said Gary Ryan, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “This is the time when we get our hottest weather of the year, as far as daytime highs go.”

Because there has been little wind, meteorologists are describing the situation as a weak Santa Ana condition. Though Wednesday’s top temperatures came close, they did not set any records.

Highs today should be a few degrees lower, and Friday should be even cooler because of ocean breezes, meteorologists say. Hot and windy conditions are expected by Sunday.

Times staff writer Miles Corwin contributed to this story.