This project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian Made accessible through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation and Photo Friends
Photograph was edited for publication purposes The Bel Air Fire was a brush fire that began on November 5, 1961 in the Bel Air community of Los Angeles. 484 homes were destroyed and 16,090 acres were burned. As a direct result of the Bel Air Fire, Los Angeles initiated a series of laws and fire safety policies. These included the banning of wood shingle roofs in new construction and one of the most stringent brush clearance policies in the United States. The Los Angeles City Fire Department produced a documentary, "Design For Disaster," about the wildfire, narrated by William Conrad. Photograph caption dated November 8 and 9, 1961 reads "The fire... ... caused this toll." Costs in lost residences, emergency response expenses, and watershed reclamation were estimated by insurance companies and government agencies to total $19-$23 Million. Photograph caption dated December 18, 1961 reads "One of the more than 450 homes destroyed by the fire - Five Valley Times TODAY photographers covered the top story."; See images #00127209 and #00127215 through #00127217 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Fires--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Smoke--California--Los Angeles Dwellings--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Rubble--California--Los Angeles Swimming pools--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Streets--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Automobiles--California--Los Angeles Fire hose Foothills--California--Los Angeles Santa Monica Mountains (Calif.) Bel Air (Los Angeles, Calif.) Aerial photographs Valley Times Collection photographs
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