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Photograph was edited for publication purposes The caption refers to the Malibu area fires that broke out December 26, 1956 and raged throughout the Santa Monica Mountains from Paradise Cove and Escondido Canyon all the way to the Mulholland Highway near Seminole Hot Springs and Malibu Lake. Just days apart, two more fires were started in the Las Flores Canyon area, to the east, and Lake Sherwood, to the west. Photograph caption dated December 27, 1956 reads, "'Cat' driver braves intense heat and flames as he attempts to cut firebreak in front of advancing Malibu area blaze. This proved to be futile as fire leaped line and burned to ocean edge. This segment of fire burned within feet of home of Louis R. Schirmer. Modern mechanized cavalcade of more that 125 bulldozers, tankers, pickup trucks and pumpers has been called in from Ventura, Kern and Los Angeles counties to aid the City of Los Angeles." The article partially reads, "The catastrophic fire which continued to race wildly out of control through the Malibu mountains today threatened to leap over Mulholland Highway near Malibu Lake and burn into the western end of the San Fernando Valley above Calabasas. The fire has already jumped Mulholland Highway at Decker Canyon and advanced west into Ventura County toward the exclusive Lake Sherwood area."; See images #00114917 through #00114926 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Fires--California--Malibu Mountains--California, Southern Men--California--Malibu Wildfires--California--Malibu--Prevention and control Firebreaks--California--Malibu Brush--California--Malibu Tractors--California--Malibu Caterpillar tractors Santa Monica Mountains (Calif.) Malibu (Calif.) Valley Times Collection photographs Siddon, Dave
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