Results tagged “porterranch”

              

It's one of the city of Los Angeles' better ideas: an interconnecting network of trails in the equestrian friendly Northwest Valley. The 117-acre Palisades Park--not to be confused with the one in Pacific Palisades or in Santa Monica--is one of the many, stretching close to three and a half miles from Tampa Boulevard to Reseda Boulevard between the Limekiln Canyon Trail and the ones in Eddleston and Aliso Canyon parks.

          

Whether it's walking, running, riding a bike or a horse, Limekiln Canyon is one of Porter Ranch's great secrets (and just one of the many connecting recreational trails). For over a mile and a half along and below Tampa Avenue between Rinadli and Sesnon lies the small canyon where residents enjoy one of LA's best assets--nature. Here's a little of how it looks.

Residents in Porter Ranch woke up this morning to a light layer of snow above them in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. It was only a few months ago when a wildfire raged through these hills. Ahhhh, such is life in the Valley.

As part of the unified command set up yesterday in Los Angeles to combat the Sayre Fire, the LAPD had 150-200 officers on hand to assist evacuees and to patrol the evacuated areas once the fire was out. In Porter Ranch, at least one homeowner reported looting, as he returned to his property to check on his doors, and found two women taking his belongings from his home.

A smoldering fire was knockedown shortly before 8:30 a.m. this morning in Browns Canyon north of Chatsworth inside the burn area of the Sesnon Fire. The fire was not an immediate threat, Brian Humphrey of the LA Fire Department said, but to make sure it didn't become one, they sent a few engines and helicopters to soak it down. The fire, which was first reported at 7:14 a.m., had no visible flames and was burning under decomposing vegetation such as weeds, leaves, tree roots and branches.

The 20-acre Sierra Fire near Corona and Yorba Linda in Orange County was fully contained this afternoon after a 20-hour fight. No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged. The Sesnon Fire that began near Porter Ranch on Monday has greatly subsided after burning 14,125. It is currently 70% contained. Over in the Northeast Valley, the Marek Fire is close to containment at 92% after scorching 4,824 acres.

After winds began to die down yesterday, the Sesnon Fire somewhat subsided last night as it burned in Simi Valley. Now 20% contained, the latest reported acreage consumed by the fire is 13,285. Around 2,300 firefighters are dedicated to the fire that began in Porter Ranch and spread to Granada Hills, Chatsworth and Simi Valley. "72 structures were damaged or destroyed, all in the Los Angeles City and County areas," the Ventura County Fire Department reports, who has lifted many of the evacuations on their side of the fire.

As of this morning, here's the latest on road closures and public transit routes affected by the Sesnon and Marek Fires (things can change, if they do, they should be updated at (800) 439-2909):

The Sesnon Fire that began in Porter Ranch yesterday morning has spread to Simi Valley totalling 13,285 acres and prompting mandatory evacuations. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Tapo Canyon north of Lost Canyon, Box Canyon, Lake Manor, Lilac Lane, Santa Susanna Pass Road from the Ventura County line to Box Canyon Road, and Woolsey Canyon, according to the Ventura County Fire Department as of 5:04 p.m. Voluntary evacuations are in Bell Canyon.

Whether you're a homeowner or renter, after a fire destroys your property, you'll be working with insurance to start over again (that's assuming, you have insurance, probably a good idea if you live in Southern California). "Residents need to prepare for evacuation with a 'grab and go box' containing important insurance and financial documents, a room-by-room inventory and relevant receipts," tips the Daily News.

The City of Los Angeles has released these traffic advisories for the two fires.

As people are dealing with the effects of the local wildfires, there are also organizations making sure the four-legged victims are being looked after. Especially since there are so many horses in the fire-stricken neighborhoods.

The Santa Ana winds will worsen over the next few hours, then finally mellow out around noon. Northridge View at the 11800 block of Reseda is now under mandatory evacuation as the fire licks at the road. Edelston Park has been completely destroyed. In spite of the proximity of the fire, Cal State Northridge will be open today. The 118 West was just reopened.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Office sent out a big press release tonight updating traffic, transit, evacuation and school information regarding the Sesnon Fire in the Northwest San Fernando Valley that's mainly affecting the Porter Ranch and Chatsworth neighborhoods and surrounding areas. All the info can be read here.

Captain Henry Rodriguez of LA County Fire told KCAL9 on live TV that at least nineteen structures have burned in the Sesnon Fire that is burning in Porter Ranch, Chatsworth and outlying county areas. Map and more basic info on the Sesnon Fire can be found here.

"Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour, which is why it is so important that residents in the areas surrounding these wildfires heed warnings from public safety officials to evacuate," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in preface to his emergency proclamation. "It's critical that everyone in the warning areas continue to be prepared-know what you're going to take and be ready to move very quickly if the evacuation order comes in your area. The state is coordinating with federal and local officials to ensure that firefighters have the resources they need, but with such a serious situation on our hands, we need residents to take every precaution to remain safe during this dangerous and difficult time."

Fire Chief, Michael Freeman reportedly told City News Service that there "is a real possibility" the fire could make a run down toward the Pacific Coast with the wind conditions, which are expected to pick up again tonight. At a 4:30 p.m. press conference, LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said that the fire "can go from [the Valley] to the ocean in a matter of two to three hours... now is the time to get prepared and be alert." Communities threatened by the current movement of the fire could be Hidden Hills, Bell Canyon, Calabasas and Agoura Hills.

The two fires burning in the San Fernando Valley have neared a total of 9,000 acres. The Sesnon Fire, which began north of Porter Ranch around 10:30 a.m. this morning, has quickly grown to 3,700 acres reaching into Chatsworth with no containment reported. The Marek fire in the Northeast Valley that began early Sunday morning is at 5,000 acres with 5% containment.

Metrolink is using Twitter to update their service. The latest: "Ventura Co. Line to be shut down in the Chatsworth area due to heavy smoke in tunnel area. More details to follow." UPDATE: Metrolink has some bus bridge alternatives, but depending on where you are and where you're going, you'll need to see their specific details.

The Sesnon Fire in Porter Ranch, which has now burned around 2,000 acres, has prompted the following neighborhoods to be under mandatory evacuation: Box Canyon, Woosley Canyon, Bell Canyon, Lake Manor, Brown Canyon, Twin Lakes and Dayton Canyon. Basically, the message is if you're in Porter Ranch or to the West of, leave. For complete coverage, follow our "wildfire" tag by clicking here.

Officials at a press conference say that many of the fires igniting across the region, including the original Marek/Little Tujunga Fire, look suspicious and are still under investigation. Fire and police are asking for any suspicious activity to be reported to police (license plate numbers are especially helpful).

A brush fire has been reported north of Porter Ranch on top of Oat Mountain in the Santa Susana mountain range. Callers, observing the fire from the Wilbur-Tampa Park/Limekiln Cyn area, told dispatchers the blaze was in remote "oil fields," but LAFD officials said the natural gas storage facility located inside nearby mountains is completely safe at this time. Oat Mountain with its 3700 foot mountain peak is supposedly the tallest in the Santa Susana range. Porter Ranch is a Los Angeles city neighborhood tucked between Chatsworth and Granada Hills north of Northridge. UPDATE: The 118 Freeway is closed around Tampa and west. For complete coverage, follow our "wildfire" tag by clicking here.

Via LA County Fire | View Larger Map

"The tragic case of the Rajaram family is at the bleakest edge of the economic turmoil that is rattling Americans' emotional well-being. Worries about home foreclosures, job losses and plunging stock prices have sparked a surge in mental health problems," says the LA Times in a report about the economy and a national surge in mental health problems. "Rates of depression and suicide tend to rise during hard economic times. A study that looked at economic shifts between 1972 and 1991 found suicides rose an average of 2% when the economy faltered."

Yesterday morning police discovered a home in Porter Ranch--an LA neighborhood tucked above the 118 Freeway--with all six members of the family dead with three suicide notes from the father and killer, one of them to police citing financial problems. The story of Karthik Rajaram has unfolded quickly telling of a man who made it big in the markets, at one point earning $1.2 milion, but as the economy took a turn for the worse, so did the family's pockets.

Following an LAPD press conference on the six deaths from a presumed murder-suicide in Porter Ranch, a northwestern San Fernando Valley community, police disclosed that the father left behind three letters indicating that he was behind the slaying of his mother, wife and three children because of "financial difficulties." The man had worked for Price Waterhouse and Sony Pictures and had a MBA in business. More info on the killings can be found here.

Around 7:15 a.m. this morning, six people were found dead inside a gated community home in Porter Ranch, a neighborhood in the Northwest San Fernando Valley between Chatsworth and Granada Hills. LAPD detectives suspect that the incident at the 20600 block of Como Lane to be a murder-suicide with initial reports saying all victims were from one family.

Update: The westbound 118 freeway should be open by now.

• With exactly one year to go until a new president is inaugurated (and one more year of Jon Stewart's hilarious Bush headlines), the field of Republican hopefuls just got smaller. After poor showings in, well, every primary, caucus and poll, San Diego Congressman Duncan Hunter is ditching the presidential race. No word on what he will do now, but rumors are flying that Hunter will continue to build that fence along the Mexican border he started months ago.
• And speaking of the election, Gov. Arnold is holding off on endorsing a Republican candidate, preferring to stay "neutral." For now. Some are postulating that Schwarzenegger is waiting to endorse someone in the Republican field to see if his friend and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an Independent, will enter the race.
• It's been a rough Saturday night/Sunday morning in LA County as 11 people have been shot at two separate parties in Long Beach and Compton. The first shooting happened late Saturday at a birthday party in Long Beach, when several gang members apparently crashed the party and started a fight. The second shooting took place early Sunday in Compton, when four or five men turned up to a party and started shooting partygoers, shooting eight and leaving three in critical condition.
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to address the Chatsworth/Porter Ranch State of the Community Breakfast next month. It's the first time the mayor will speak to the group about issues affecting the area. Yawn. The interesting thing about this is that in the the Daily News headline, they referred to the mayor by his first name: "Antonio to speak to area chamber." I didn't know the Daily News and the mayor were such good friends.
• The Dodgers will play two March exhibition games against the Padres in Beijing. While some veteran players are privately saying they don't want to go, Matt Kemp sounds downright giddy about the trip. I hope the old versus young rift that ripped through the clubhouse late last season does not carry over into this season. Isn't this why we go Joe Torre?
• Several gay porn sites have posted pictures of under age water polo players from Orange, LA and San Diego counties without them knowing. Authorities think a campus police dispatcher may have played a role in taking the pictures. Gives a whole meaning to block that ball, doesn't it?