A brushfire that scorched about 10 acres along the Malibu ridgeline and left one inmate deployed as a firefighter severely injured was fully contained Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“The last official report we had was that it was 95 percent contained by 8:30 p.m. (Thursday) and we won’t have another official report until around 7 a.m. this morning,” said county fire Dispatch Supervisor Miguel Ornelas about 1:50 a.m. “But it’s fully contained now. We just have a few pieces of equipment out at the scene and a small number of firefighters doing mop-up.”
The blaze started in the area of Mulholland Highway and Bardman Street about 3 a.m. Thursday. About 200 firefighters were sent to the scene, said county fire Dispatch Supervisor Rey Dong.
By about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, the fire was about 35 percent contained, and firefighters had stopped the flames from spreading further, said county fire Inspector Randall Wright.
A short time afterward, the inmate camp crew member was injured by a boulder that fell about 100 feet from a hillside.
Firefighters immediately began treatment and administered CPR, according to the fire department, which reported the inmate was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of “major injuries.” She remained hospitalized in critical condition this morning, officials said,
The fire was fought by fire crews from Los Angeles and Ventura counties and three water-dropping helicopters. Its cause remained under investigation, according to Ornelas.
The fire burned in heavy brush, working its way uphill in some spots, and authorities shut down Mulholland Highway in both directions near the fire area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Residents of nearby homes were asked to evacuate, according to authorities. However, no mandatory evacuations were ordered, Dong said.
Campers at two camps were evacuated, including a self-evacuation at Camp Shalom involving 120 children.
The injured inmate’s name has not been released.
—City News Service