The 1961 Bel-Air fire in a time exposure. Photo by Alan Hyde/Valley Times Collection, courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.
Sadness and disbelief pervade Los Angeles looking over the tragic remains of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. People have been wondering, how could this happen? It already had, 64 years before in the cataclysmic 1961 Bel-Air fire, which burned more than 4,000 acres and over 450 homes, considered the most disastrous brush fire in Los Angeles history until this week’s blazes.
Dry chaparral, drought, overtaxed water pipes and supplies, narrow, winding canyon roads, rocky terrain, and high winds led to a massive fire that swept from Bel-Air to Mandeville Canyon over 35 hours, mirroring much of what has happened this week. A fire swept Topanga Canyon at the same time, threatening to push through canyons to Malibu and over canyon walls into the San Fernando Valley. Perhaps society should look and learn from its past to try and prevent disasters rather than pointing fingers at politicians and terminology. Continue reading
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