Tag: Los Angeles County Fire Department

MALIBU—At around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station announced that the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive East near Lechuza Point and Lechuza Beach is closed to the public. The closure was due to a large sinkhole caused by strong surf and coastal erosion, which damaged a private driveway leading to a beachside residence owned by actor Nicholas Cage, TMZ first reported.

Firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department discovered it around 5:45 a.m., after receiving a report of a broken gas line underneath the street. They contacted the Southern California Gas Company, which sent crews to shut off the line.

Through the sinkhole, waves are visible, along with items that fell into the hole, including a green portable toilet, pieces of concrete, and parts of a fence. No one was injured, as the house was unoccupied when the driveway collapsed.

Firefighters closed off the area with help from deputies from the LASD.

Workers from the gas company were on scene, along with workers from Malibu Public Works and HOA contractors, to assess the situation. It is unknown when the road will reopen to the public.

Nicholas Cage has starred in the following movies: “Gone in Sixty Seconds,” the “National Treasure” franchsie, “Con Air,” “Face Off,” “The Weather Man,” “World Trade Center,” “Family Man,” and the 2006 remake of “The Wicker Man.” He played the Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man Noir, a version of Peter Parker reimagined as a 1930s private detective, in the Spider-Verse animated films and the series Spider-Noir, which was released on MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video.

By Daniel Diquinzio

MALIBU—The city of Malibu announced on its Facebook page that the Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 88 in Malibu will be completing drills for wildfire season preparedness.

Drills will be conducted at Seaver and Malibu Canyon on the Pepperdine lawn starting Monday, June 16 through Wednesday, June 18. The drills will occur between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The drills may result in some traffic congestion. To learn how to prepare for fire season, including completing mandatory brush clearance, scheduling a FREE home wildfire assessment from the City’s Fire Safety Liaisons, and more visit: www.MalibuCity.org/FireSafety.

The city of Malibu works year-round to prepare and help community members be prepared to prevent wildfires and be ready to respond to the next big wildfire. The City Manager and Public Safety Director meet regularly with the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department to discuss current and forecasted fire conditions, community concerns, and deployment levels in response to wildfire threat factors, such as hot, dry, windy weather, fuel moisture levels, and Santa Ana winds.

The Fire Safety Liaisons also monitor current fire conditions in Malibu, including weather and fuel moisture levels, and reports them weekly to the City Manager and Public Safety Director.

The City’s Fire Safety Liaisons offer a free Home Wildfire Hardening Assessment. They will visit an individual’s home to assess the property’s wildfire risk and provide a checklist of ways that you can harden your homes against flying embers.

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Tuesday, August 6 at 12:45 p.m. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) detectives responded to a call to assist the Los Angeles Fire Department with a victim outside the convenience store in the 7900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.

According to the LASD Homicide Bureau Lieutenant Vizcarra, First Responders arrived at the scene to find one adult male, later identified as 68-year-old, Armando Gabriel, of Los Angeles, lying on the sidewalk. He was unresponsive. Paramedics transported Gabriel to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

LASD detectives arrested and detained Ramon Casas, 48, of Bell Gardens. Homicide investigators learned that Gabriel and Casas were involved in a fender bender in the convenience store parking lot.

An altercation ensued that ended with Casas beating Gabriel who lost consciousness during the assault and later died.

Ramon Casas was booked into jail at West Hollywood Station on murder charges and his being held on $2,000,000 bail. His court date is scheduled for Thursday, August 8, at 8:30 a.m. at the LAX Municipal Court 144 located at 11701 S. LaCienga Boulevard.

There is no additional information at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

By Sharon

MALIBU—On February 19, at approximately 1:20 p.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a call of a fiery crash in the 34000 block of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Mullholland Highway involving a white range rover and one other vehicle.

Paramedics attended to the injured party who was then air lifted to an area hospital for treatment.

There was significant damage to both vehicles, one reportedly having a charred engine.

PCH remained closed until the wreckage was cleared. This closure comes just days after the announcement of the nightly closings of PCH north of Malibu.

On February 14, multiple news outlets notified the public that all lanes of PCH in both directions would be closed for repairs due to storm damage and erosion from flooding. The closures began each night at 6:00 p.m. and remained closed until 7:00 a.m. from Sycamore Canyon Road to Las Posas Road in Ventura County (Caltrans).

By Sharon