Fire at Griffith Park

Friends have been calling or emailing to ask about the fire that began yesterday at Griffith Park/Griffith Park Observatory. We are located about 13 miles due west of the park. Sister Frances was driving home along the I-10 just after the fire started and when she got home told us of how high the flames were burning. I looked out of an upstairs window and could see what looked like a huge mushroom shaped cloud rising from the park beginning to move to the west. The skies are blue and clear today but there's a smoke haze hovering as far as I can see.

The TV is reporting that as of right now 800 acres have burned, but no nearby homes have been lost. Yet they are saying it will take another 24 hours to contain the fire.

The park draws about 10 Million visitors a year.

 

 

 

 

Griffith Park is very famous and has strong Hollywood connections - besides location. It is said that Walt Disney got his idea for an amusement park from the merry-go-round at Griffith park (it was not harmed by the fire); "the dusty climax, where Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) finally meets up, and acepts, his kidnapped niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is actually Griffith Park"; a number of scenes from Rebel Without a Cause were filmed in the park and a bust of Dean is located on the west side of the park (this bust is a landmark in a series of Marvel comics!); scenes from The Terminator and other films were also shot in the park.

 

You can find a great amount of information about Griffith Park on the Internet...

Thank you for your interest in the City of Angels. And may the angels watch over and protect all of us~

R

 

Tags: Fire, Los Angeles, Griffith Park