Evening star., 1938-11-24
Movie Estates Saved
As Forest Fires
Are Checked
$4,000 Acres Burned in
CoIiforniu-Loss TOPS
100000
BY the Associated Press,

LOS ANGELES, NOV. 24.-TWO
disastrous mountain fires in the
Santa Monica and San Bernardino
ranges were checked by an army of
fighters today as property damage
exceeded 100000 and $4,000 acres
of watershed lay blackened.
One death was indirectly attribut-
ed to the Santa Monica blaze, which
scourged Topanga, Santa YneZ. Los
Flores and Temescal Canyons after
it kinder in tinder-dry brush yes
terday.
Mrs. Louis Silvers, wife of the
music director of Goth Century Fox
Film Studio, was found dead at her
home Nerve-worn by the menacing
nearness Of flames during the night,
she apparently took an overdose OF
sleeping powder, the coroner re-
ported. An inquest was ordered.
Burning some 5000 acres, the
greatest loss in the history of Los
Angeles County, the conflagration
destroyed $50 homes and cabins as
it swept from mountain crests to the
Pacific strand across watersheds un-
touched by fire for quarter century.
Dix's Estate Spared.
Families fed on foot. Roads were
jammed. Capricious, the flames
spared Actor Richard Dix's $25 900
estate and the 150-home community
of Fernwood while encircling them
in a fierce advance.
AS Pacific Palisades, the exclusive
Santa Monica canyon area, and Bel
Airs palatial movie colony homes,
were closely approached, the fiery
menace faltered at dawn.
The stables of the Riviera and
Uplifters country clubs had been
evacuated. In the threatened sector
were the homes of w. c. Fields,
Mary Astor, Claudette Colbert,
Joan Crawford and other screen
celebrities.
Accused of starting the fire by
dumping live Goals from a stove in
the belief they were dead, a 33-year-
old ranch workman was held by Los
Angeles Fire Department arson in
vestigators. He was identified as
David Imet Trewitt, employed on the
Trippett Ranch, in Santa Ynez Can
yon, bordering Topanga.
Deputy Sheriff E. H. Carroll said
Trewitt told of trying to stamp out
the fire, only to have it race over
brush lands.
The destructiveness of fire near
the Pacific was equalled If not ex-
ceeded by blaze in the mountains
above San Bernardino, go miles
east of Los Angeles, which razed
the s75O,OO0 Arrowhead Springs
Hotel as 40 guests, including the Ritz
Brothers of comedy fame, reached
safety.
The Las Casitas Night Club near
by and more than score OF noun
tain homes were destroyed, the fire
spreading out over $500 acres.
Fingers Of flame stretched down
Waterman Canyon, while authorities
evacuated 200 families from the
north district of the city Of San
Bernardino. Ashes, smoke and dust
covered the region.
Fire Hurdles Highway.
The blaze, witnesses said, started
at the very crest of Strawberry
Peak, ate through timber and brush,
leaped the rim of the World high
way and sped down the mountain
side.
One thousand men, conscripted
from w. P. A. lists and private
citizenry, feverishly worked on a
firebreak to stop the flames from
advancing on heavily forested Crest
line, near Lake Arrowhead.
AS the fires at Santa Monica and
San Bernardino flared up suddenly
Yesterday, it seemed as if a plague
had struck Southern California. A
score of separate blazes were fought
in four counties.
In Ventura County, the historic
town of Camarillo was isolated for
several hours by a brush conf1agra-
ton.
Two fires threatened Escondido in
San Diego County and one in San
Pasquale Valley burned over 400
acres.
AS the Santa Monica fire cracked
down to the very shore of the Pacific,
q Coast Guard cutter and\a police
boat stood by to carry of refugees
from the surf, but their aid was not
needed.
Radio co-ordinated the efforts Of
fire fighters and possibly saved lives
as q plane, sent aloft by Police Chief
Charles l.. Dice Of Santa Monica,
surveyed the situation and reported
to police radio cars.