Griffith Park Is Burning

Above, it's not the most exciting video you'll see of the massive fire currently charring Griffith Park, but it's one that I took on the way home tonight.

This is the view from the Hyperion Bridge, as I make my way from Los Feliz/Silver Lake to Atwater Village. At 9:45 p.m., the sky was still orange, with smoke in the air.

The air was particularly choke-tastic in Los Feliz, as I passed by our old apartment and drove by John Marshall High, where evacuees were being sent. A lot of cars and activity, but traffic was still manageable. The air, however, was thick -- it felt like I was standing next to a campfire, and I was several miles from the actual blaze!

The view was especially frightening from further back, as I made my way north on Virgil, south of Sunset and Santa Monica. The flames lept high into the sky, and stretched so wide that I began to wonder whether this unruly inferno was at a point of no return. Listening to KNX and KFWB didn't necessarily help, as reporters contradicted each other on how bad things were, depending on their viewpoint.

Mayor Villaraigosa refused to get dramatic, instead focusing his remarks on praising the LA Fire Department and assuring everyone that it would be all right. On the other hand, councilman Tom LaBonge -- who probably knows more about the city than anyone else, except the LA City Nerd -- sounded downright depressed both on the radio and TV as he described the destruction in Griffith Park, including Dante's Peak.

Thankfully, the zoo and the Griffith Park marry-go-round were saved. But 600 acres are charred. The LA Times has ongoing coverage at its Breaking News Blog.