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Woolsey Fire: Mail pick-up, disaster assistance begins for evacuated residents

Residents of Malibu forced to evacuate because of the Woolsey Fire that has been burning for 10 days will be able to pick up their mail on Saturday in downtown Los Angeles and a Disaster Assistance...
Woolsey Fire: Mail pick-up, disaster assistance begins for evacuated residents

MALIBU (CNS) - Some residents of Malibu forced to evacuate because of the Woolsey Fire returned to their homes Saturday while others received notice they could return Sunday and Monday, as firefighters battled for control of the huge blaze for a 10th day.

Since erupting Nov. 8 in Ventura County and quickly spreading into Los Angeles County, the fire has charred 98,362 acres and was 84 percent contained with full containment expected Monday. The number of structures destroyed was revised upward to 1,008 Saturday with 271 damaged as about 80 percent of the burn area assessment was completed.

Firefighters continued to mop up and patrol the fire zone and were expecting help from weakened winds and moderate to good humidity.

Malibu residents started picking up their mail Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, and Disaster Assistance Centers were opened to help residents impacted by the nearly 100,000-acre blaze.

Customers were reminded to bring proper photo ID to obtain their mail at the USPS Facility at 7101 S. Central Ave. between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to a statement from the City of Malibu.

The Disaster Assistance Centers will be closed Sunday, open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Thursday and open again Friday and next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are located at the former Malibu Courthouse at 23525 Civic Center Way, and at the Conrad L. Hilton Foundation, 30440 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills.

Meanwhile, as of 5:30 p.m. Saturday evacuation orders were lifted in areas of the Malibu Colony Cove neighborhood from the ocean on the south, the Malibu City Limit on the north, Puerco Canyon Road on the east and Paradise Cove Road on the west, and for the Las Virgines Road/Malibu Canyon Road areas from the Malibu City limit on the south to Mulholland Highway on the north, with Mulholland Highway still closed westbound from Malibu Canyon Road and Latigo Canyon, Corral Canyon, Ramirez Canyon and Puerco Canyon roads remained closed north of PCH. Evacuation orders were lifted in the Topanga area from PCH to Mulholland Drive on Friday.

More residents of the Malibu Colony Cove area were notified they can return home at 2 p.m. Sunday if they live in an area bounded by the ocean on the south, Malibu City limit on the north, Paradise Cove on the east and Guernsey Avenue on the west. Latigo Canyon and Corral Canyon roads will be open from PCH to the Malibu City limit but areas north of those locations will remain closed.

Residents of Malibu Lakes, Broad Beach and Seminole Springs were notified that if conditions remain favorable they will be allowed to return to their homes Monday.

The areas of Malibu Lakes were residents can return at 3 p.m. Monday are between Mulholland Highway on the north, Bulldog Mountain Way on the south, Lake Shore Drive on the east and Shadow Creek Drive on the west. Mulholland Highway will remain closed eastbound at Cornell Road and westbound at Troutdale Road due to bridge damage.

Also at 3 p.m., residents of the Seminole Springs neighborhood can return if they live between Kanan Road on the north, Cadenhorn Drive on the south, Trousdale Drive on the east and Seminole Drive on the west. Westbound Mulholland Highway west of Seminole Drive and southbound Kanan Road south of Triunfo Canyon road will remain closed.

At 9 p.m. Monday, residents of the Broad Beach area of Malibu Colony Cove neighborhood can return in an area bounded by the ocean on the south, Malibu City limit on the north, Guernsey Avenue on the east and the Ventura County line on the west.

Pepperdine University officials announced the campus would be without power for 12 hours beginning at 8 a.m. Monday so Southern California Edison can replace four transmission poles damaged in the fire.

A message from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District indicated four Malibu schools remained under evacuation orders but a certified professional staff experienced in restoration will begin cleaning the schools while environmental specialists, industrial hygiene specialists and other experts ensure the campuses are safe for students and staff when they reopen sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday and that air quality will be tested.

The Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 29 in Malibu and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District determined tap water is safe to drink and it is no longer necessary to boil tap water for drinking or cooking, officials said.

Evacuation centers in Los Angeles County were located at Pierce College, 7100 El Rancho Dr. in Woodland Hills; and at Palisades Charter High School, 15777 Bowdoin St. in Pacific Palisades.

Some road restrictions remained in place in the affected areas, however, and residents of Piuma Canyon were advised they would need to access their homes via Cold Canyon Road or the eastern entrance to Piuma Canyon Road, with no access to the area allowed from Malibu Canyon Road.

Also:

-- Pacific Coast Highway is closed southbound at the L.A. County line to Puerco Canyon Road;

-- Puerco Canyon Rd. is closed at the Malibu city limit;

-- Las Posas Rd. to L.A. County line is residents only, with no northbound traffic from PCH;

-- Westlake Blvd. is closed Southbound from Potrero Rd.

-- S. Las Virgenes is closed from Mulholland

-- S. Kanan is closed at Malibu View Dr.

-- Everything is closed south of Mulholland Hwy & West of Cornell Rd.

-- L.A. County public works has closed Chesebro Road at the bridge between Driver Ave and Balkins.

Fire officials warned people returning to their homes to beware of changing fire conditions and adhere to road closures and shifting evacuation zones.

"Burned out power poles, burned and damaged homes, debris-filled roadways, broken gas lines and burned guard rails pose serious safety hazards to residents attempting to return to the area," according to a statement from fire officials.

Residents were urged not to try to restore their own natural gas service but to contact SoCal Gas to do it. They were warned to be mindful as they drive through their neighborhoods that workers were still busy restoring services. "As traffic flow is introduced into these areas, people may be more focused on the damage and not aware of their immediate surroundings," an official statement said.

"... The Woolsey Fire is unlike any previous fire in the Santa Monica Mountains due to the vast destruction and devastation to homes and critical infrastructure."

The death toll from the Woolsey Fire rose to three on Wednesday with the discovery of a charred body in a burned-out home in the 32000 block of Lobo Canyon Road near Agoura Hills. Family members said the victim was 73-year-old Alfred Deciutiis, a retired oncologist. His death has been listed by fire officials as one of three related to the fire.

The other two victims were found on Nov. 9 in a burned-out vehicle on a long driveway in the 33000 block of Mulholland Highway. Authorities said they suspect the driver became disoriented amid the flames.

A firefighter from Washington state was injured Thursday when he was struck by a vehicle, apparently while resting or sleeping at a camp area along Pacific Coast Highway near Dear Creek Road in Ventura County. Two other firefighters were previously injured.

Additional fire information for Los Angeles County can be found at www.lacounty.gov/woolseyfire. Malibu also has established a website to update fire information at www.malibucity.org/woolsey.

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