Sayre Fire
Encyclopedia
The Sayre Fire, also known as the Sylmar Fire, is a November 2008 wildfire that resulted in the loss of 489 residences in Los Angeles
, California
, United States
, the "worst loss of homes due to fire" in the city's history. The fire was first reported at 10:29 p.m. PDT on November 14, 2008, in the Sylmar
section of Los Angeles. On November 20, 2008, the fire was 100% contained and had burned 11262 acres (46 km²) and destroyed more than 600 structures, including 480 mobile homes, nine single-family homes, 104 outbuildings and 10 commercial buildings. The number of homes lost in the Sayre fire exceeded the prior record, which had been set by the 1961 Bel Air fire which resulted in the loss of 484 homes. The fire resulted in no fatalities and minor injuries to five firefighters and one civilian.
destroyed more than 200 homes in Montecito
and Santa Barbara
, the Sayre Fire was reported in the 13000 block of Sayre Street in Sylmar, just north of the Foothill Freeway
(Route 210) near Veterans Memorial County Park. It spread rapidly as it was fanned by strong Santa Ana winds with near hurricane-force gusts estimated at between 50 mi/h and 80 mi/h. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
called the conditions leading to the fire a "perfect storm" of strong winds, low humidity, high temperatures, and dry brush.
declared a state of emergency in the city, and Governor Schwarzenegger issued a state of emergency declaration later in the morning. On November 18, 2008, President George W. Bush
declared the area struck by November 2008 California wildfires
a federal disaster area, freeing up federal aid for reconstruction efforts.
called it "the worst loss of homes due to fire in the city of Los Angeles" and reported that it "appeared to be the largest number of housing units lost to fire in the city of Los Angeles, surpassing the 484 residences destroyed in the 1961 Bel Air fire." Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
, a lifelong city resident, noted: "This is as bad a fire as I can remember since the Bel-Air Fire. The human devastation that's involved, whether you live in a mobile home or an estate, it's devastating. We can't even begin to weigh their loss."
The San Fernando Valley based Daily News
described the Oakridge park, parts of which were also burned after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, as follows:
After the effort in Oakridge, a firefighter produced a burned U.S. flag on a broken stick taken from a home that was destroyed in Oakridge. The firefighter offered it as a sign of hope and bravery for firefighters. It was later framed and hung in the main lobby of the Sylmar Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, where it can still be seen today.
In a press briefing on November 16, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger noted that the homes in the Oakridge community had ignited "like matches," and called for a review of fire retardancy standards applicable to mobile homes and mobile home parks.
in Sylmar. The Los Angeles Times
reported that, around midnight, "tall walls of flames quickly surrounded Olive View Medical Center," as "embers blew down streets, catching trees and shrubs on fire around the hospital," and "before long, the hospital was surrounded on all sides by fire." Some 200 patients were sheltered in place as firefighters fought the flames outside the hospital. The hospital lost power, generators failed to work, and the smell of smoke filled darkened hallways, as staff tended to patients with flashlights, and critical patients were kept alive with hand-powered ventilators. A number of infants and critical patients were evacuated in ambulances. In the end, more than 40 buildings on the Olive View campus were damaged in the fire, and the child care center was totally destroyed.
. The Sylmar ponds where the mosquito fish are bred were inundated with ash, resulting in the kill off.
, decided to move ahead with an evening fireworks display as part of its Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The Los Angeles Times
reported that the fireworks sent area residents "running outside in alarm." One resident was quoted in the Times as saying that, with the local hotels filled with evacuees, "It was a really an inappropriate display. This was not the time to shoot off fireworks." A mall spokesperson said the fireworks could not be rescheduled and added, "We weren't trying to be insensitive."
found two women taking property from his home, "stacking his property outside the house and carrying them to a green four-door Infinity." The two women, one from North Hollywood
and the other from Sherman Oaks
, were arrested, and police believe the women may have burglarized other homes in the area.
on November 15, 2008, but drew only 8,000, which some attributed to the evacuations, freeway closures, and traffic jams resulting from the Sayre Fire. Mayor Villaraigosa attended the rally between news conferences at the Sayre Fire site.
("DWP") has a major converter station in Sylmar and was forced to impose rolling blackouts, temporarily cutting off electricity to residents in Sherman Oaks, Mid City, Crenshaw, and other areas for about 25 minutes.
in the west. Evacuation centers and shelters were established at Sylmar High School
, San Fernando High School
, Chatsworth High School
and Kennedy High School. By the afternoon of November 16, 2008, all of the evacuation centers except for Sylmar High School had been closed. Large animal evacuation centers were established at Pierce College
and at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.
) at the Newhall Pass, the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210
) from I-5 through Sylmar, the Simi Valley-San Fernando Valley Freeway (California State Route 118
), the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405
) at Route 118 and the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14
) from south Santa Clarita
to the Newhall Pass. By the late afternoon on November 15, 2008, the California Highway Patrol
announced the re-opening of the freeways closed due to the Sayre fire.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the "worst loss of homes due to fire" in the city's history. The fire was first reported at 10:29 p.m. PDT on November 14, 2008, in the Sylmar
Sylmar, Los Angeles, California
Sylmar is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. The northernmost neighborhood in the city, Sylmar is located east of Interstate 5 and north of the city of San Fernando...
section of Los Angeles. On November 20, 2008, the fire was 100% contained and had burned 11262 acres (46 km²) and destroyed more than 600 structures, including 480 mobile homes, nine single-family homes, 104 outbuildings and 10 commercial buildings. The number of homes lost in the Sayre fire exceeded the prior record, which had been set by the 1961 Bel Air fire which resulted in the loss of 484 homes. The fire resulted in no fatalities and minor injuries to five firefighters and one civilian.
Origins and cause
One day after the wind-swept "Tea Fire"Montecito Tea Fire
The Montecito Tea Fire is a wildfire that began on November 13, 2008, destroying 210 homes in the cities of Montecito and Santa Barbara, California in the United States of America. It was the first of several November 2008 wildfires that burned hundreds of homes November 13–15, 2008...
destroyed more than 200 homes in Montecito
Montecito, California
Montecito is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California. As a census-designated place, it had a population of 8,965 in 2010. This does not include areas such as Coast Village Road, that, while usually considered part of Montecito, are actually within the city limits of Santa...
and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, the Sayre Fire was reported in the 13000 block of Sayre Street in Sylmar, just north of the Foothill Freeway
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 (California)
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 together form a contiguous highway, called the Foothill Freeway, in the Greater Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California. The western portion of the route is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, while the eastern portion is a state highway...
(Route 210) near Veterans Memorial County Park. It spread rapidly as it was fanned by strong Santa Ana winds with near hurricane-force gusts estimated at between 50 mi/h and 80 mi/h. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
called the conditions leading to the fire a "perfect storm" of strong winds, low humidity, high temperatures, and dry brush.
Response
In the pre-dawn hours on November 15, 2008, over 600 firefighters were engaged in battling the Sayre Fire, and the number of firefighters on site increased to 1,100 by mid-day. Fire officials said winds of “near hurricane force” grounded some of their water-dropping aircraft. The fire moved west from Sylmar and threatened the luxury planned community of Knollwood in Granada Hills. On November 15, 2008, at 8:00 a.m. PDT, Mayor Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
declared a state of emergency in the city, and Governor Schwarzenegger issued a state of emergency declaration later in the morning. On November 18, 2008, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
declared the area struck by November 2008 California wildfires
November 2008 California wildfires
The November 2008 California wildfires are a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on November 13. At least 400 houses and 500 mobile homes were destroyed...
a federal disaster area, freeing up federal aid for reconstruction efforts.
Worst loss of homes due to fire in City of Los Angeles history
County fire officials reported on November 19, 2008 that the Sayre Fire had destroyed more than 600 structures, including 480 mobile homes, nine single-family homes, 104 outbuildings and 10 commercial buildings. The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called it "the worst loss of homes due to fire in the city of Los Angeles" and reported that it "appeared to be the largest number of housing units lost to fire in the city of Los Angeles, surpassing the 484 residences destroyed in the 1961 Bel Air fire." Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
, a lifelong city resident, noted: "This is as bad a fire as I can remember since the Bel-Air Fire. The human devastation that's involved, whether you live in a mobile home or an estate, it's devastating. We can't even begin to weigh their loss."
Devastation at Oakridge Mobile Home Park
In the pre-dawn hours on November 15, 2008, the fire devastated the Oakridge Mobile Home Park, destroying 480 of the park's 600 mobile homes. Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Steve Ruda described the scene as "an absolute firestorm" with 50 feet (15.2 m) high flames and added, "Hoses were melting into the cement and concrete. That's how hot the fire was." Firefighters rescued several individuals from their mobile homes, and four civilians rescued a 300-pound disabled woman, who was trapped in her mobile home, as fire was breaking the glass. Though Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton initially expressed concern that some elderly residents might have perished at the mobile home park, cadaver-sniffing dogs searched the ruins and found no evidence of any fatalities.The San Fernando Valley based Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
described the Oakridge park, parts of which were also burned after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, as follows:
"With 600 households, well-manicured lawns and luxury amenities, Oakridge Mobile Home Park was no trailer park. The gated community, most of which was reduced to ash by a roaring wildfire that swept through the Sylmar hills late Friday and early Saturday, featured a putting green, an Olympic-size swimming pool and tennis courts. 'It wasn't just a mobile home (park),' said Linda Pogacnik, 63, whose home was destroyed. 'It was the Beverly Hills of mobile homes.'
After the effort in Oakridge, a firefighter produced a burned U.S. flag on a broken stick taken from a home that was destroyed in Oakridge. The firefighter offered it as a sign of hope and bravery for firefighters. It was later framed and hung in the main lobby of the Sylmar Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, where it can still be seen today.
In a press briefing on November 16, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger noted that the homes in the Oakridge community had ignited "like matches," and called for a review of fire retardancy standards applicable to mobile homes and mobile home parks.
Flames surrounded Olive View Medical Center
Shortly after 1:00 a.m. PDT on November 15, 2008, flames from the Sayre Fire threatened Olive View-UCLA Medical CenterOlive View-UCLA Medical Center
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is a hospital, funded by Los Angeles County, located in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It is one of the primary healthcare delivery systems in the north San Fernando Valley, especially the area's large indigent population...
in Sylmar. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that, around midnight, "tall walls of flames quickly surrounded Olive View Medical Center," as "embers blew down streets, catching trees and shrubs on fire around the hospital," and "before long, the hospital was surrounded on all sides by fire." Some 200 patients were sheltered in place as firefighters fought the flames outside the hospital. The hospital lost power, generators failed to work, and the smell of smoke filled darkened hallways, as staff tended to patients with flashlights, and critical patients were kept alive with hand-powered ventilators. A number of infants and critical patients were evacuated in ambulances. In the end, more than 40 buildings on the Olive View campus were damaged in the fire, and the child care center was totally destroyed.
Death of mosquito-killing fish
Ash from the Sayre Fire also resulted in the death of Los Angeles County's mosquito-killing fish, which were bred in ponds located in Sylmar. The fish, Gambusia affinis, eat mosquito larvae and are distributed throughout the county from the Sylmar ponds as part of an effort to battle the spread of the West Nile virusWest Nile virus
West Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
. The Sylmar ponds where the mosquito fish are bred were inundated with ash, resulting in the kill off.
Glendale fireworks display proceeds amid fire
On November 15, 2008, despite the fire raging several miles to the north, a San Fernando Valley shopping center, Americana at BrandAmericana at Brand
Americana at Brand is a large outdoor shopping community in Glendale, California. The property was built and is owned and operated by Los Angeles businessman Rick J. Caruso and his company Caruso Affiliated. Caruso Affiliated has built and operates of many other projects including The Grove at...
, decided to move ahead with an evening fireworks display as part of its Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that the fireworks sent area residents "running outside in alarm." One resident was quoted in the Times as saying that, with the local hotels filled with evacuees, "It was a really an inappropriate display. This was not the time to shoot off fireworks." A mall spokesperson said the fireworks could not be rescheduled and added, "We weren't trying to be insensitive."
Looting
On November 15, 2008, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested five individuals for looting in areas evacuated due to the fire, and imposed a curfew for young people. A homeowner in Porter RanchPorter Ranch, Los Angeles, California
Porter Ranch is an affluent neighborhood in the northwest region of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bounded by Chatsworth on the south and west, Northridge on the south, and Granada Hills on the north and east. The Santa Susana Mountains, which separate...
found two women taking property from his home, "stacking his property outside the house and carrying them to a green four-door Infinity." The two women, one from North Hollywood
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
and the other from Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California
Sherman Oaks is an affluent district in the San Fernando Valley area of the city of Los Angeles, California. In contrast to much of the Valley, the area is relatively urbanized, with commercial skyscrapers along Ventura Boulevard as well as scattered throughout...
, were arrested, and police believe the women may have burglarized other homes in the area.
Damage to park lands
While the immediate concern following the fire was with loss of homes, the Sayre fire also caused extensive damage to nine parks, including Stetson Ranch, El Cariso and Wilson Canyon Park in Sylmar, Placerita Canyon Nature Center, Whitney Canyon Park and Elsmere Canyon in Newhall, and O'Melveny Park in Granada Hills. Veterans Memorial Park in Sylmar suffered severe fire damage, including destruction of a 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) administration building and a cactus garden.Cancellation of Pasadena Marathon
On November 15, 2008, the organizers of the first Pasadena marathon were forced to cancel the event due to the heavy smoke in the air.Impact on gay marriage rally
A rally protesting the passage of a ballot initiative banning gay marriage had been expected to draw 40,000 protesters to Downtown Los AngelesDowntown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
on November 15, 2008, but drew only 8,000, which some attributed to the evacuations, freeway closures, and traffic jams resulting from the Sayre Fire. Mayor Villaraigosa attended the rally between news conferences at the Sayre Fire site.
Power outages
The Los Angeles Department of Water and PowerLos Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
("DWP") has a major converter station in Sylmar and was forced to impose rolling blackouts, temporarily cutting off electricity to residents in Sherman Oaks, Mid City, Crenshaw, and other areas for about 25 minutes.
Evacuation and shelters
In the early morning hours of November 15, 2008, officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents north of the 210 Freeway in the Sylmar area. The evacuation area was expanded to cover more than 10,000 people, living in the far north end of the San Fernando Valley from Sylmar in the east to Granada HillsGranada Hills, Los Angeles, California
Granada Hills is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles.It is located just north of the North Hills and Northridge districts, west of the Mission Hills and Sylmar districts, and just east of the Porter Ranch district. It is accessible by the Ronald Reagan , San...
in the west. Evacuation centers and shelters were established at Sylmar High School
Sylmar High School
Sylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the...
, San Fernando High School
San Fernando High School
San Fernando High School, located in San Fernando, California, is a secondary school that is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District....
, Chatsworth High School
Chatsworth High School
Chatsworth High School is a public secondary school located in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, U.S..As of the 2005–06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 3183 students and 117.8 classroom teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 27.0.- History :The campus...
and Kennedy High School. By the afternoon of November 16, 2008, all of the evacuation centers except for Sylmar High School had been closed. Large animal evacuation centers were established at Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College, also known as Pierce College, Pierce, is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills, a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.The college began with 70 students...
and at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.
Freeway closures
The fire resulted in temporary closures of several of the San Fernando Valley's major freeways, including the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
) at the Newhall Pass, the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 (California)
Interstate 210 and State Route 210 together form a contiguous highway, called the Foothill Freeway, in the Greater Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California. The western portion of the route is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, while the eastern portion is a state highway...
) from I-5 through Sylmar, the Simi Valley-San Fernando Valley Freeway (California State Route 118
California State Route 118
State Route 118 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that begins running west to east through Ventura and Los Angeles counties in southern California. It travels from Saticoy in Ventura County east to Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles...
), the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405
Interstate 405
Interstate 405 may refer to:* Interstate 405 , a bypass of Los Angeles, California* Interstate 405 , a loop in Portland, Oregon* Interstate 405 , a bypass of Seattle, Washington...
) at Route 118 and the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14
California State Route 14
State Route 14 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, largely in the Mojave Desert. The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway. The route connects Interstate 5, or Golden State Freeway, near Santa Clarita and with U.S. Route 395 near...
) from south Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita can refer to:* Santa Clarita, California* Santa Clarita Valley* Valencia, California...
to the Newhall Pass. By the late afternoon on November 15, 2008, the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
announced the re-opening of the freeways closed due to the Sayre fire.
See also
- 1961 Bel Air fire
- Freeway Complex FireFreeway Complex FireThe Freeway Complex Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Ana Canyon area of Orange County in the US state of California. The fire is notable for the extensive property damage in Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda...
- Montecito Tea FireMontecito Tea FireThe Montecito Tea Fire is a wildfire that began on November 13, 2008, destroying 210 homes in the cities of Montecito and Santa Barbara, California in the United States of America. It was the first of several November 2008 wildfires that burned hundreds of homes November 13–15, 2008...
- November 2008 California wildfiresNovember 2008 California wildfiresThe November 2008 California wildfires are a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on November 13. At least 400 houses and 500 mobile homes were destroyed...