LOS ANGELES _ As firefighters worked to contain the Getty fire that swept through Brentwood on Monday, investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze that burned homes and caused thousands to flee.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said authorities had determined the fire was not sparked by fires at homeless encampments. That's a key finding because a fire two years ago on the other side of the 405 Freeway in Bel-Air that destroyed homes was believed to have originated in a homeless camp.
Arson investigators were on the scene Monday looking for evidence, but officials had not determined that the fire was intentionally set.
The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday along the 405 Freeway near the Getty Center and spread to the south and west, rapidly burning more than 600 acres and sending people fleeing from their homes in the dark.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said that, despite firefighters' efforts, at least eight homes, including some on Tigertail Road, were destroyed in the blaze. Five others were damaged. Some homes that were destroyed were adjacent to properties that didn't sustain any damage, he said.
"They were literally overwhelmed," Terrazas said of crews fighting the fire within neighborhoods. "They had to make some tough decisions on which houses they were able to protect. Many times, it depends upon where the ember lands."
The neighborhoods around the Sepulveda Pass have seen more than their share of fires over the years _ and residents say they know to be on guard.
In the hills surrounding Danny Cahn's home, fires have a history of blasting out of control. In 1961, when Cahn was a preschooler, residents had to flee an inferno that swept through Bel-Air and Brentwood, destroying 484 homes.
Cahn said life had never quite been the same since the "big one" roared though, propelled by Santa Ana wind conditions that left a number of L.A.'s rich and famous homeless.
"There's always a threat hanging in the air around here," said the retired film editor, 62, who was taking photos Monday of aircraft dropping pink retardant and water on flames about half a mile away. "I can recall six or seven major fires in my lifetime.
"When the smoke clears and the fires are out," he said, "it'll be a wonderful place to live _ until the next wildfire."
Another major fire that broke out in the Sylmar area earlier this month is also under investigation. The Saddleridge fire, which burned homes in Porter Ranch, started under Southern California Edison power lines.
Edison later said its electrical system was "impacted" around that time. The utility hasn't provided additional details.
Earlier this year, authorities alleged that two Los Angeles men intentionally set fire to a homeless encampment, a situation that sparked a brush fire and led to the evacuations of several homes in Eagle Rock and Glendale.
