Zach Behrens

As a quick-moving wildfire burns in the Santa Clara River Valley, no official evacuation order has been given to Moorpark residents as of 12:23 p.m. However, Fred Ponce of Ventura County Fire told KTLA newscasters that those living along the 118 freeway in Moorpark, they should be prepared for the possibility of leaving. "If you're in doubt, get out," he said. "Don't wait for an actual evacuation order." Ranches in the Happy Camp Canyon...

A brush fire burning in eastern Ventura County is being blown by winds in a southwesterly direction from the Fillmore and Piru areas towards Moorpark. The blaze began south of the 126 Highway in the Santa Clara River Valley, burning an estimated 30 to 50 acres, according to KNX1070 [Update: The fire reportedly began near E. Guiberson Rd. and Calumet Canyon Road]. Nothing is immediately threatened, but a golf course has been evacuated. Sparks...

Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr Los Angeles County Sheriff's patrol large swaths of land from up in the Antelope Valley to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Charged with all unincorporated areas such as parts of South LA and communities like Castaic and cities that contract their services like West Hollywood and Santa Clarita, yesterday the agency announced a major drop in crime despite the economic downturn. The news comes on the heels of four fatal...

Coyotes found in the Hollywood Hills | Photo by coljac via Flickr In light of the slaying of eight coyotes in Griffith Park by government officials, the public outcry is loud and Donna Barstow at the blog Griffith Park, Interrupted reveals some interesting facts about how many animals are killed by the government in California: If you want to really make yourself sick, read this USDA report on how many animals were “taken” KILLED...

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...

Attorney Jerry Brown tomorrow plans to announce a lawsuit filing against "a Los Angeles based investment adviser who directed hundreds of millions of dollars in clients' investments to Bernard Madoff, while actively concealing the link between the two," according to an advisory. "For decades, this investment adviser claimed to use a proprietary strategy to generate 20 to 25 percent returns. In reality, the high returns were a product of Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme. For...

This weekend's fatal deputy involved shootings brings the total number of such incidents to 13 for 2009. There were five in 2008. Before this weekend, Sheriff Lee Baca called for expedited department investigations into deputy shootings of unarmed suspects after such an incident took place last week in Athens. However, at all three shootings this weekend, guns from the suspects were recovered, according to authorities.

Photo by Primo Catalano Last Saturday, artist Bruce Nauman took the skies above Pasadena to make an environmental statement, of sorts. "Leave the Land Alone," a skywriting plane wrote. The piece, viewed from the city and surrounding San Gabriel Valley neighborhoods, launched the Armory Center for the Arts into their 20th Anniversary celebration. The exhibition, Installations Inside/Out, opens tomorrow and commissions 20 contemporary artists, all having previously created art for the nonprofit, to make...

Citing concerns over predicted weather, prime for fueling and spreading fire, Forest Service authorities have ordered air assaults to begin tomorrow morning and throughout the next few days as needed to combat the still burning Station Fire. Four heavy helitankers will treat fuels along the north slope of Mount Wilson, a rugged area too steep for fire crews to reach by foot. Officials say residents and visitors in the area may see increased helicopter,...

No longer are the days of inconsistent actions regarding how the city approves and pays for special events like neighborhood block parties, farmers markets, festivals and larger, more notable street closures for events like the Oscars and Emmys (which means street closures this weekend in downtown). Some of those larger events like the Oscars will get half their fees waived while other events like farmers markets are left in the dark. The city says...

A reportedly fast-moving 50 to 60-acre fire has prompted evacuations and the closure of Highway 79 in the Temucula area around Vail Lake, near the Cleveland National Forest, this afternoon. At least two homes have been damaged in the fire that began shortly before 3:00 p.m. UPDATE: Conflicting reports say it began before 4 p.m. Also, it that it has now burned through 200 acres, according to CBS2....

It's a few minutes shy of 10:30 a.m. and the Los Angeles City Council is in session, however behind closed doors as councilmembers decide on a labor deal. Earlier this week, the council voted to cut close to 1,000 jobs and institute 26 furlough days, but only as a back-up plan if talks didn't go through by the end of the month. The city faces a $405-million deficit and an earlier plan to let...