“Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect Sunday for residents in the Topanga area as firefighters continue to battle a 835-acre brush fire near Pacific Palisades, and authorities search for a person suspected of setting the blaze. The blaze, dubbed the Palisades Fire, was 0% contained as of Sunday morning – but a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson said updated figures were expected later in the day. The weather remained cool and moist overnight, which created favorable conditions for fire crews. However, conditions were expected to change as the vegetation in the area is very dry and has not burned in more than 50 years, according to the LAFD PIO David Ortiz. ‘We are expecting the rain to stop around noon time and fire activity to begin again,’ Ortiz said. ‘We’re trying to keep it up out of the old growth, which is 50-60 years that hasn’t burned. So there’s a lot of dense, thick material there – oily plants that have died out because of the drought. So that’s our objective today is to try to keep it out of that and protect the communities and neighborhoods to the west of this fire because that’s what’s closest to it.'”
“Crews responded to a remote area off Michael Lane and Palisades Court around 10 p.m. Friday as the fire grew to approximately 15 acres, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fight continued overnight, but by 4 p.m. Saturday, firefighters were dealing with a significant flare-up that quickly got out of hand, creating a large plume of smoke visible across Los Angeles County. An official cause has not been determined, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it was actively looking for an arson suspect” – KABC.