Evening star., 1938-11-26
Shifting Winds Aid
Fight on California
Forest Fires
$1,000 Acres Burned;
Damage Now Put
At $5,o00,000
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26.-Shift-
ing, capricious winds, which for
three days alternately have famed
then almost halted the spread of
Southern CALIFORNIA; two disas-
trous forest and brush blaZes, today
appeared to be aiding fatigued fire.
fighters in the Santa Monica and
San Bernardino Mountains.
Neither confagration was under
control, but afficials who late yes
terday feared additional millions Of
dollars damage was inevitable, took
encouragement from reports of prog
reSs in several areas.
Most dangerous point apparently
was in upper Vaudeville Canyon, in
the Santa Monica Mountains west
OF Los Angeles. Ralph j. Scott, city
fire chief, ordered concentration of
800 men along a emile front to
keep the blaze from breaking across
Mulholland High Way and into the
fertile San Fernando Valley.
Lower in the same canyon are
numerous expensive homes, but Mr..
Scott said none was in immediate
danger. Three flremen, burned
when a blaze trapped them and a
truck in nearby Rustic Canyon, re-
turned to the lines after emergency
treatment.
Only spot fires remained nearer
the seacoast in Topanga and Las
Flores Canyons, swept during the
first day, and county foresters said
they were being brought rapidly
under control.
The sheriff's Office announced,
after survey. that 80 residences in
the two canyons and adjacent areas
of Las Tunas and Big Rock were de-
stroyeG, with a property loss ap-
proximating $15O,OOO.
In the San Bernardino Mountains,
changing winds enabled workers to
start backfire which, at least tenn
porarily, halted advance of the
flames on 1000 cabins in the Crest
Forest area. Residents who evacu-
ated such communities as Crestline
and Pinecrest before the roaring
menace yesterday returned to their
homes.
Rancher Held in Jail.
On two lower fronts in Devil and
City Creek Canyons-both valuable
Observation-Disclosures of fire con-
tinued to lick into the thick brush,
but both blazes were believed sur
rounded.
The United States Forest Service
estimated between 10000 and 10000
acres of brush had been burned
over since the fire broke out.
Meanwhile, David E. Trewitt. 81
year-old ranch hand, was held in
Jail here in lieu of $1,000 bail, fol-
lowing his arraignment on charges
of violating Federal regulations cov-
erlng fires. He confessed, investi-
gators said, to dumping hot ashes
outside his canyon home, where the
Santa Monica fire started.
Damage from the Santa Monica,
San Bernardino and other fires in
five counties, estimated in the
neighborhood of $5,OOO,OOO, rose
steadily with the increase in water
shed burned, now approximately
$1,000 acres. Watershed values.
fixed by engineers, ranged as high
as $3.50 per acre.
Location Areas Destroyed.
Surveys by Hollywood studios in
dicated many favorite location areas
in the Santa Monica Mountains had
been destroyed. Executives said
some shooting schedules might have
to be revised.
Lost were two scenes familiar to
motion picture fans for years-one
trail in Topanga Canyon used
in filming shots of Western law en-
forcement officers chasing bandits
on horseback, another a forked road
near Mulholland High Way, where
scores of crashes and other auto
mobile stunt driving scenes have
been phOtOpraphed.