L.A.-area fire evacuations lifted; roads reopened

VENTURA, Calif. —  All residents evacuated by the brush fire in Calabasas and Topanga were expected to return home Sunday evening and roads near the blaze were reopened as crews reached nearly full containment, officials said.

The Old Fire, as it's been called, was 80% contained by Sunday afternoon, according to officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

They had lifted evacuation orders and reopened roads at 6 p.m. PT for residents in the area, although as many 683 residents may find their homes without power, according to Southern California Edison. Evacuation centers at Agoura High School, Pierce College and Agoura animal shelter were also closed.

Fighting the blaze near the Los Angeles and Ventura county lines had not been easy.

"It's an area with rugged topography. That's our biggest concern," said Joey Marron, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, early Sunday.

On Saturday night, approximately 5,000 residents were evacuated when the blaze that started on the 23000 block of Mulholland Highway quickly grew and closed a portion of the highway.

As a result, Topanga Canyon from Pacific Coast Highway to Mulholland Highway as well as Mulholland Highway at Old Topanga had been closed to traffic. They were reopened at about 6 p.m. Sunday.

The fire destroyed one commercial building that was used as a storage facility. Three homes were also damaged.

Three firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.

Marron described the injuries as minor. About 400 firefighters battled the fire.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an unhealthy air-quality advisory for the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. In areas near the fire, where there was visible smoke or odors of smoke, residents — particularly those with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory problems — were urged to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity.

Crews were expected to continue extinguishing embers in hard-to-hike areas to reach full containment, said Andy Olvera an investigator with the department.

Contributing: Manuel Araujo, Ventura County (Calif.) Star. Follow Wendy Leung on Twitter: @Leung__Wendy