Kageff Fire forces evacuations in Woodland Hills areas

 Kageff Fire forces evacuations in Woodland Hills areas

The four-acre fire prompted dozens of evacuation orders as it moved toward homes in southern Woodland Hills, officials say

Above: The Kageff Fire grew to 4 acres by 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders.

Residents in the Winnetka Avenue neighborhoods south of Ventura Boulevard were dismayed to learn that a new fire had erupted dangerously close to some homes in the area, which eventually prompted over two dozen evacuation orders and over 200 evacuation warnings.

The fire was first reported at about 4:18 p.m. by a resident who lives on Nomad Drive, a small road that connects to Winnetka Avenue.

“I looked out my window and saw some smoke on the hillside” said Cody, the first resident to report the new blaze.  “So I went to the clearing behind my house and I saw the flames.  It looked to be about ten feet wide at the time.”

The fire is located in a hilly, brushy area between Winnetka Avenue and the Corbin Canyon Trail, a popular hiking route in the area.

“With all the dry weeds on these hills it’s unerstandable that a fire would eventually start here”, said Felipe, another resident in the area.

Firefighters were unable to arrive on the scene until about 5:00 p.m. because of limited resources due to nearby Kenneth Fire.  A three-crew fire engine was the only asset deployed to halt the relatively small Kageff fire.

At about 6:00 p.m. evacuation crews arrived on the scene to provide evacuation and medical assistance, if necessary.  Residents were advised to avoid smoke inhalation whenever possible and to prepare for evacuation.

At 7:30 p.m, The Los Angeles County Fire Department issued evacuation orders for a total of 29 houses in a stretch of Nomad Drive that is particularly close to the fire.  Over 200 evacuation warnings were also issued to houses on nearby streets that could be at risk should the fire move towards the neighborhood.

“Our first objective right now is to keep the fire away from the homes” says Crew Chief Andres Garcia. “Unfortunately the fire is spreading to the brush south-east [of the neighborhood] but we are unable to contain it at the moment due to a lack of personnel.”

 

Throughout the evening and into the night, evacuation crews were present in the area, assisting residents with evacuation needs.  The HOPE Rehabilitation Center on Ventura Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue announced that they would be able to provide 48 rooms of complimentary shelter for those who were evacuated.

“It was hard to have to choose the items we value most and take them with us on short notice” says Ramos, a resident whose family was ordered to evacuate their home. “Helping my family get their things and getting everyone in our car. But the most important thing right now is that we’re all safe.”

By 10:00 p.m. the Kageff Fire has grown to four acres.  Firefighters were successful in protecting the nearby homes from structure damage, but the fire was able to expand further into the hills to the south-east.  The LAFD reported that the fire is 60% contained as of 11:00 p.m.