Hollywood hills fire

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Today's Hollywood Hills fire started behind the Oakwood Gardens complex on Barham Boulevard, just up the hill from Warner Bros., around 1 pm or a little before. The fire was first reported as having consumed five acres. It grew to about 100 acres. It peaked for about 90 minutes, and was pretty much suppressed by 4 pm. I was looking at the huge plume -- it reminded me of the smoke pouring out of the twin towers on 9.11 -- from Olympic Boulevard in West L.A. and then West Hollywood as I was riding on the motorcycle.

photo provided by David Zaugh, c/o David Zaugh Photography

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 30, 2007 at 5:10 PM

comment #1

tholl-yung says ...

Not the Motorcycle. We've heard about the car and the bike, but I think this is new.

Posted by tholl-yung at March 30, 2007 6:02 PM

comment #2

gruver1 says ...

I ride a yellow BMW motorcyle with black saddlebags. I wear a black cop helmet with gray-tinted goggles.

Posted by gruver1 at March 30, 2007 6:08 PM

comment #3

tholl-yung says ...

I'll look for you.

Posted by tholl-yung at March 30, 2007 6:16 PM

comment #4

RoyBatty says ...

RE: the pic.

Ah, should have known it was pro job. I actually came here to heap praise on your shutterbug chops only to find it was a ringer.

Well, tell Zaugh it's a superb shot. Even if it has been heavily Photoshoped it's a keeper.

Posted by RoyBatty at March 30, 2007 7:04 PM

comment #5

D.Z. says ...

Jeff: That's global warming for you.

Posted by D.Z. at March 30, 2007 7:37 PM

comment #6

Geoff says ...

I saw it from La Brea and then around 5 left from work with surprisingly lite traffic on the 5. I think the fire prompted people to race home a little early. It's always, "oh my god, the traffic will be horrible" in LA.

Posted by Geoff at March 30, 2007 8:52 PM

comment #7

Zoidberg says ...

Had the Hollywood Sign burned, pictures of the spectacle probably would have become the most popular and widely-circulated pop culture images of all-time. I'm glad they stopped the fire, but I'm also oddly disappointed.

Posted by Zoidberg at March 30, 2007 9:57 PM

comment #8

Devin Faraci says ...

I'm probably moving to LA this summer, and I think the general combustibility of the region will convince me to finally shell out for renter's insurance, something I never even thought of when living in places one step up from a crack den here in Brooklyn.

Posted by Devin Faraci at March 30, 2007 10:18 PM

comment #9

D.Z. says ...

Devin: If you're moving to L.A., you'll be lucky if you can afford rent, let alone renter's insurance.

Posted by D.Z. at March 30, 2007 10:51 PM

comment #10

frankbooth says ...

Doesn't look so expensive to me. A quick look at craigslist turns up over a page of one-bedroom apartments in the $800 range.

Posted by frankbooth at March 31, 2007 2:00 AM

comment #11

jeffmcm says ...

Rent in NYC is significantly more expensive than in LA. I was living in the small room in a two-room apartment in Greenpoint for $800/month in 2000-2001. I'm sure that room is now worth 1000-1200. Compared to that I have a much larger room in LA in a more convenient neighborhood for less than $600/month.

And the only combustible parts of LA are the areas near park or woodland, so unless Devin moves to Topanga or a million-dollar house in the Hollywood Hills he really doesn't need to bother.

Posted by jeffmcm at March 31, 2007 2:34 AM

comment #12

scooterzz says ...

you rent a room!?!? that's just priceless, mc mahon....

Posted by scooterzz at March 31, 2007 3:12 AM

comment #13

frankbooth says ...

Scooterzz,

What, you expected him to squat?

Posted by frankbooth at March 31, 2007 3:19 AM

comment #14

jeffmcm says ...

Yeah, what's the joke? Do I come off as rich or do I come off as destitute? I don't know what a fourth option would be.

Posted by jeffmcm at March 31, 2007 3:25 AM

comment #15

T. S. Idiot says ...

I demand a photo of the yellow motorcycle. JW: As you ride, do you sing Arlo Guthrie's "I don't want a pickle. Just want to ride on my motorsickle"?

Posted by T. S. Idiot at March 31, 2007 4:42 AM

comment #16

gruver1 says ...

Wells to T.S. Idiot: Here's
the bike again...I ran a photo two or three weeks ago.

Posted by gruver1 at March 31, 2007 9:29 AM

comment #17

christian says ...

"Had the Hollywood Sign burned, pictures of the spectacle probably would have become the most popular and widely-circulated pop culture images of all-time. I'm glad they stopped the fire, but I'm also oddly disappointed."

most brilliant morbid post of the year.

"you rent a room!?!? that's just priceless, mc mahon..."

not as funny as you demanding binder go count his money...but you're above all that materialism...

Posted by christian at March 31, 2007 9:48 AM

comment #18

jeffmcm says ...

I think what we all really want is a photo of Wells actually astride the Banana Jammer.

Posted by jeffmcm at March 31, 2007 10:03 AM

comment #19

bipedalist says ...

If I ever see him I promise to take a pic. The fire was wild. Thought a plane crashed behind our place.

Posted by bipedalist at March 31, 2007 10:16 AM

comment #20

bipedalist says ...

"And the only combustible parts of LA are the areas near park or woodland, so unless Devin moves to Topanga or a million-dollar house in the Hollywood Hills he really doesn't need to bother."

Not true. I was robbed last year - they took everything. If I had had renters insurance...it's totally worth it, Devin, imo.

It is ridiculously expensive here, though, for anyone who doesn't have rent control from the old days, like Wells is lucky enough to have.

Posted by bipedalist at March 31, 2007 10:20 AM

comment #21

christian says ...

my pad in berkeley burned - renter's insurance gave me a fat check a couple months later.

Posted by christian at March 31, 2007 10:31 AM

comment #22

Drew says ...

Tell me about it, Sasha.

I moved into my apartment in Hollywood in '97. When I moved out last year, it was genuinely difficult to let go of it. Great 2-bedroom place on Hollywood just between La Brea and Fairfax. Awesome location. New renters in my building were paying $1400 a month for a one-bedroom, and as high as $1900 for the two-bedroom.

And I was still paying $940. For the whole thing. God, rent control is nice. Broke my heart a little to let it go, but we needed the space of a house.

Posted by Drew at March 31, 2007 2:46 PM

comment #23

bipedalist says ...

Drew, that's insanely cheap. $1900 for a two bedroom in that area seems almost cheap! Not quite but almost. I keep hoping something is going to make rents go down but alas. I think it will ultimately push people out of the city up by Santa Clarita or Sunland.

Posted by bipedalist at March 31, 2007 7:39 PM

comment #24

jeffmcm says ...

One thing nobody's making any more of is land (except that volcanic island near Iceland).

Posted by jeffmcm at March 31, 2007 9:30 PM

comment #25

bipedalist says ...

And the hot spots in Hawaii.

Posted by bipedalist at April 1, 2007 7:44 AM

comment #26

christian says ...

i live in the same area as drew and not only is it the best walking hood in la (5 blocks from the new beverly) there's rent control so i get a 2 in a half room pad with garage for 1200. that's what the studio box across the street goes for. look for my place soon on ebay.

Posted by christian at April 1, 2007 10:02 AM

comment #27

kimi98 says ...

And the only combustible parts of LA are the areas near park or woodland, so unless Devin moves to Topanga or a million-dollar house in the Hollywood Hills he really doesn't need to bother.

Posted by: jeff