Rancho Palos Verdes Fire 70% Contained

Rancho Palos Verdes (myFOXla.com) - Important note: This story has been updated with a new version. Check here for the latest version of the story about the Portuguese Fire in Rancho Palos Verdes.


Fire crews continued an aggressive aerial and ground assault today on a stubborn wildfire in Rancho Palos Verdes that slightly damaged six homes and prompted the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents from neighboring Rolling Hills, but no one was hurt.

Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates is being used as an evacuation center. The address:

Peninsula High School
27118 Silver Spur Road
Rolling Hills Estates

An evacuation center for horses and large animals has been set up at:

Ernie J. Howlett Park
25851 Hawthorne Blvd.
Rolling Hills Estates

Terranea Resort & Spa in Rancho Palos Verdes is also making space available to evacuees. The address:

6610 Palos Verdes Drive South
Rancho Palos Verdes
(310) 541-9209
www.terranea.com

The resort's usual weekday rate is $264 per night, but the rooms weren't fully booked so the managers decided to help out, according to Terranea spokeswoman Wendy Haase.

-----

The blaze, which broke out just before 8 p.m. Thursday around Ocean Trails and Palos Verdes drives, scorched about 125 acres, and was about 70 percent contained by 10 a.m. today, said county fire Capt. Mike Brown.

The fire slightly damaged the exteriors of six homes, said John Tripp, the fire department's chief deputy of emergency operations. A gazebo and an outbuilding were destroyed, Tripp said.

He said evacuation orders remained in effect because of concerns that the flames could flare up.

Tripp declined to discuss the cause of the fire, saying only that the flames had originated near Palos Verdes Drive South. Some power outages were reported in the area, but crews were working on the problem, Tripp said.

Shortly after it broke out, the fire quickly spread over more than 75 acres, drawing hundreds of firefighters to the scene and prompting aerial drops from five helicopters, according to fire officials.

As the blaze burgeoned, authorities issued mandatory evacuations late Thursday for residents in neighboring Rolling Hills on Portuguese Bend, Crest Road, Amber Sky Drive, Wrangler Road, Running Brand Road, Quail Ridge Road, Ranchero Road, and Packsaddle Road, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Sam Padilla said.

County fire Inspector Frederic Stowers said the evacuation orders affected 649 homes -- between 1,200 and 1,500 residents.

An evacuation center was set up at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School at 27118 Silver Spur Drive in Rolling Hills Estates.

Residents were instructed to bring horses and large animals to the Ernie J. Howlett Park at 25851 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rolling Hills Estates.

Brown said roughly 400 firefighters remained assigned to the blaze overnight, including Los firefighters from the Angeles County, Los Angeles City, Long Beach, Compton, Torrance, Redondo, Downey, Compton and Vernon fire departments.

Five water-dropping helicopters operated attacked the blaze overnight, Padilla added.

"We've been able to knock the intensity of the head of the fire, slowing its rate of spread, and giving most of the concentration to the flanks throughout the night," Stowers said.

Watch this live video feed of FOX Los Angeles' news coverage for the latest information we have about the fire.