Zach Behrens

1,000 more acres have been burned since earlier reports this morning as the Guiberson Fire rages on in Ventura County. As the 600 firefighters on scene upped containment to 20 percent, a number of schools were closed as a precaution as the fire neared Moorpark. Moorpark College, Campus Canyon School and Walnut Canyon School are all closed today, according to the Ventura County Star....

Photo by cgodley via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr A memorial for fallen LAPD officers arrived at the new Police Administration Building today. What does it look like inside LAPD Chief William Bratton's house? Photos of his place, which is up for sale, have been leaked. Caltrans humor alert. Those signs that tell you how many minutes it takes to get to downtown was accurately like this today along the 10 freeway: "Minutes to...

Photo: richardmasoner A 28-mile stretch of the 101 Freeway has been identified as one of the DUI-related high-collision areas in Los Angeles County. Between 2005 and 2007, 19 people died and 619 were injured in crashes involving a drunk driver along the corridor between North Hollywood and Westlake. Thanks to a quarter-million dollar grant, the agency this year will aggressively fight "the war on drunk drivers" (their words) by adding roving DUI patrols, sobriety...

If you've got the day off Friday (jobless, furloughed, ditching?), then maybe skipping the beach is in order so you can climb the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Every year, the popular Stair Climb to the Top raises money for the downtown YMCA with some 1,500 runners expected this Friday. The honor will cost you $100 (that's the fundraising minimum), whether you raise the money or pay your own way. On-site registration begins at 2 p.m.

The Guiberson Fire as seen from Fillmore | Photo by MorroBayChuck via Flickr The Guiberson Fire began around 10:30 a.m. this morning in Fillmore, north of Moorpark over the Santa Susana Mountains. Fueled by red flag weather and Santa Ana winds, the blaze quickly consumed at least 6,000 acres, prompting a number of evacuations and around 400 firefighters to respond, two of which that have suffered injuries. So far, it is zero percent contained....

Earlier today, Norco officials were optimistic that the La Sierra Fire would be out by now. However, the fire is currently 50 percent contained and has burned through some 175 acres, according to numerous media reports. It began in Norco near the city of Riverside. "What we didn't see before were the driving winds," explained Bill Peters of CalFire to ABC7. "The driving winds are really what create the catoshpric fires in Southern California."...

Camp crew firefighters climb a ridge during the Station Fire (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) The Station Fire began four weeks ago today on August 26th. Back then, the already-burning Morris Fire was dominating concern from authorities, but then the Station Fire took a turn for the worst, eventually burning through 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest and becoming the biggest fire in Los Angeles County history (and in the top ten for...

Enjoy that marine layer while you've got it | Photo by J. Nordberg via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Thanks to a marine layer over the coastal areas, beach neighborhoods should experience lower to mid 70s today. However, other parts of the region will not be spared with downtown hitting an expected high of 90 and the valleys soaring into triple digits today, according to the National Weather Service. "The whole [San Fernando] Valley...

A fire burning in Redlands within San Bernardino County has scorched at least 5 acres, according to Carl Baker with Redlands Fire Department, who spoke to KNX1070. As of 2:45 p.m., no structures had burned, but some were threatened. Evacuations have been ordered along Sunset, west of Helen in addition to homes on Edgemont and Fairmont. More evacuations had been ordered, but Baker was unaware of specifics at the time of the interview. "If...

Speaking to KNX1070, Norco Fire Chief Jack Fry said that the blaze should be contained "within the hour." The fire began during the lunchtime hour and has burned an estimated 120 to 150 acres in Norco and at the edge of Riverside, he said....

Fire-friendly weather has pushed back containment of the nearly month-old Station Fire to Thursday, according to Forest Service authorities today. The blaze, which has burned through some 250 square miles, is still 94 percent contained. Aerial operations will continue in an effort to knockdown remaining interior hotspots and to reduce the risk of embers igniting additional fuels during today's hot, dry and windy weather. "These hotspots are located in steep and rugged terrain, which is inaccessible by ground crews," explained an Angeles National Forest fire operations summary.

Photo by taylor_flannagan via Flickr You can always count on Councilmember Tom LaBonge for his quarterly hikes that mark the change in season. Tomorrow's Autumnal equinox will be celebrated with a public hike to the peak of Mount Hollywood. “It’s all about enjoying a hike in the middle of the city with friends and neighbors,” said Councilmember LaBonge. “It’s a great way to celebrate nature and the change of seasons.” It certainly won't feel...