A garden hose is no match for a brush fire racing up a hillside.
Krishna Thangavelu, a resident of Tahitian Terrace, responded to the November 1 CTN story (“Brush Fire Stopped below Tahitian Terrace”), with additional information and photos.
First, she wanted LAFD to know how thankful residents were for the prompt and efficient response.
Thangavelu explained that “The 911 call was made by a neighbor at the end of the street woken up by her frantic dog. We may owe our lives not only to LAFD but also to a rescue dog named Chico. Heroes all of them!!”
She sent a photo of a neighbor trying to put out the flames climbing up the hill with a garden hose and wrote, “You can see why this would not work.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin wrote in his November 1 Crime Report that “Our Beach Detail Officers and I met with the Fire Dept (Station 69) this morning to take a look at the area involved. It is still an unknown ignition source, but we think based on the location and obvious sounds of some fireworks that were set off that might be the cause.”
(Editor’s note: Krishna Thangavelu received a 2021 Community Council Sparkplug award for bringing together multiple coalitions and civic leaders to fight the proposed housing for the homeless in the Will Rogers Beach Parking lot. She continues to head a local public safety committee, a group of volunteers, who address local concerns.)
Firefighters on nearby Tahitian Terrace balconies, waiting for the water drops from helicopters.
We have friends in Tahitian Terrace, so are very thankful that the LAFD was swift and effective. The friends did say they heard an explosion.