A look back at the 1961 Bel Air Fire

Fox 11 Los Angeles ^ | 12/6/17 | Jeffrey Thomas DeSocio

[DallasBiff]

BEL AIR, Calif. (FOX 11) - There is a history in the Santa Monica Mountains of seasonal wildfire threats. The Skirball Fire is nowhere near as devastating as the one that tore through the neighborhood back when John F. Kennedy was president.

A little more than half a century ago - on November 5th, 1961, a brush fire triggered when a construction crew's equipment threw off a spark and quickly grew into a massive blaze fueled by Santa Ana winds.

Tragically, 484 homes were destroyed and a little more than 16,000 acres burned

[DallasBiff]

Have a friend who grew up in southern California, and he always states that the fall season is the driest and hottest.

Remember, to charge up your cars, to get away from the fires.

Oh wait a minute, has Newsome made all the fire trucks electric?

[markman46]

I was 6 and remember that fire, first use of a media helicopter too. Lots of fires in the LA/San Fernando Valley in those days

[Hebrews 11:6]

I recall it as a lad of 12. Nonstop TV coverage. Stan Chambers, Bill Welch, etc.

[\/\/ayne]

I grew up near Roscoe and Fallbrook a little later.

[doorgunner69]

Same age as you living in West LA.

Was on my step monster’s shitlist permanently, so say no TV. Did go to the end of the street and watch the smoke.

[doorgunner69]

Same age as you living in West LA.

Was on my step monster’s shitlist permanently, so say no TV. Did go to the end of the street and watch the smoke.

[doorgunner69]

dupe, sorry, slow connection

[Falconspeed]

In Nov. 1961 "484 homes were destroyed in Bel Air." In Oct. 1991 3,000 homes were destroyed in Berkeley hills. In Oct. 2017 3,500 homes and rare vineyards were destroyed in Napa Valley. Autumn is time to be careful. St. Florian is the patron of firefighters and May 4 is International Firefighters Day.

[robowombat]

I think this was the fire that consumed Aldous Huxley’s house.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

I remember some years ago when I lived in California, the media showed a grainy black and white film which depicted Richard Nixon standing on his roof, using a garden hose to wet down the roof.

[markman46]

I lived Fallbrook and maranaio

[markman46]

Would not surprise me at all

[ProtectOurFreedom]

What? This isn't a car post? Here's the real 1961 Bel Air.

[UnwashedPeasant]

Bel Air is the super rich neighbor to Beverly Hills. I think it is ritzier than Beverly Hills.

[central_va]

[moovova]

Sweet. No post makes it so streamlined and sleek looking.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Dad had a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville four door hardtop with no post. It was amazing cruising in that land yacht with all four windows down.

[moovova]

Dad had a ‘63 Impala...but a 4-door. After all, it was the family car. Still, I kept it clean and spit-shined. And Dad would let this high school kid take it cruisIng (late 60s).

[stateofit]

https://la.curbed.com/2017/12/6/16742976/bel-air-fire-history-brentwood-nixon

Nixon the firefighter and more details.