Turns out there's a lot of BoingBoing readers in the neighborhood near the Griffith Park fire that destroyed 800+ acres in LA yesterday (previous BB post). A number of you wrote in to share what you witnessed.
Here's a batch of photos I took of the Hollywood fire. Taken from the next-highest elevation at Barnsdall Park, these are a much closer and direct look at the fire after sunset. I've been hearing a lot of reports of people simply sitting and hypnotically watching the fire from afar last night, no matter where they were in LA, and that's certainly something you'll see in the photos.
Here are some more HDR photos I took a few hours ago of the fire.
Went on a fire chase tonight and took these photos from the Hollywood sign lookout on Mulholland and the 5 freeway.
The City of LA sent out warnings to residents today about displaced wildlife, who will likely be wandering in to our urban back yards now, in desperate search of food and water. Snip:
"It is important for L.A. City residents to understand that many wild animals will be displaced by the fire and may turn up in areas … where wildlife has never been seen before," a department statement said. "These animals will be looking for water and may be seen drinking from garden ponds, pools and other water reservoirs."
Some people think that setting a bunch of goats — with shepherds! — loose in what's left of Griffith Park would be an eco-friendly way of keeping the brush down, to prevent future big fires like this. It's an interesting idea, but one of the arguments against the goats is that they could destroy native plants and upset what remains of the native ecosystem. Link. I for one welcome our new… oh forget it.
My friend the security guard from the zoo posted some videos on his youtube early this morning before heading off to another long day at work.
I've posted a few new videos — the latest is a quick little time lapse of the LA fire at Griffith Park, which happens to be right down the street! YouTube video link, Brightcove video link
On my 3am drive home after a long night of cramming for law school final exams, I had to get creative maneuvering my way home due to the road closures of Los Feliz Blvd west of Riverside Drive. (I live near Glendale and attend law school at Southwestern)
I was also trying to see how close I could actually get to check on the fire and whether it ventured near my neighborhood.
Seems like the fire has fully engorged the hills of Griffith Park and the flames are alive and well, nearly down to the area around 1-5S (northwest of the Griffith Park/Los Feliz Blvd exit).Any word yet on the arson investigation? My law school muscles are itching to get a piece of that guy! CA Penal Code Section 451(c) Arson of a structure or forest land is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, four, or six years.
Previously on BoingBoing:
More reader comments: Bridgitte says, this evening:
I'm a 2nd generation LA native (dad was born in and grew up in Beverly Hills, mom in Inglewood, me in the South Bay) who left the city in 1991. I left for a number of reasons, but the biggest one was watching the disrespect and destruction of the buildings, businesses and the intangible that made the city a magical place to be.
By the time i left, institutions like Tiny Naylors and the Starwood had been torn down and replaced by the likes of strip malls housing pizza delivery joints and manicure shops. Sounds superficial, but it was, to me, the beginning of the death of its charm and the dream that the sidewalks glittered.
Maybe I'm being a little over-dramatic, but 16 years later it still makes me sad every once in a while. I miss what it used to be.
The fire is echoing those feelings for me. And as I watch from the opposite coast sad to be losing something else that made LA the best place on the planet to have grown up, and keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't actually reach my friends' homes, I just wanted to say thanks for the great coverage. Sad as it is, in a strange way it's made me feel connected to the city again.
And Jacob Soboroff from LA Observed points us to a related video just posted on that local Los Angeles blog — Griffith Park fire observed. Jacob says:
In the video I visit with Griffith Park-area City Councilman Tom LaBonge, LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, and LAFD Captain Carlos Calvillo. Also, see what it's like below a fire department chopper dumping tons of water.
