90-Acre Brush Fire Prompts Closure of L.A. Zoo, Autry Museum

A brush fire in the northeast corner of Griffith Park blackened more than 90 acres Tuesday afternoon, prompting officials to close the Los Angeles Zoo and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage and call in hundreds of firefighters.

The fire started about 1 p.m. west of Crystal Springs, raining ash on zoo animals and oblivious golfers, many of whom--despite being advised by officials to evacuate--remained more interested in their strokes than the smoke billowing in plumes above the park’s chaparral-covered hills.

More than 250 firefighters from the Los Angeles city and county, as well as the nearby Glendale, fire departments battled the slowly moving flames, which were fanned by 15-mph winds. Five helicopters dumped water on the crackling brush, while four county crews cleared fire breaks.

It was a busy day at the zoo, but most of the 4,000 visitors had come and gone before the fire broke out. By 3:30 p.m., when Los Angeles police ordered the zoo closed, there were fewer than 300 patrons on the grounds.

Zoo officials had earlier closed the “World of Birds Show,” fearing that the smoke would unnerve the birds in their free-flight performances for the public. A trickle of visitors had also left because of the fire before the zoo closed.

“I figured it was time to go when the ashes started falling in my mouth,” said Stephanie Ayson, who gathered her three small children and departed.

Frank Serrano, 28, decided to move on when he, his wife and son walked by the wart hogs and camels and could see flames in the distance. “The smoke hurt my eyes, and the ashes were falling,” he said.

But there were no plans to evacuate zoo residents.

“These are wild animals--lions and tigers and bears. Where would we take them?” said zoo spokesperson Lora LaMarca.

In addition to security officers, zoo staffers were expected to stay until the fire was contained. Some of the zoo’s 1,200 animals would be moved to their night holding areas while others would be allowed to stay out.

“Most of the animals will be fine tomorrow, except the higher primates,” LaMarca said. “They might be feeling a little more tense because of the fire.”

Golfers continued to pursue their games on the Wilson and Harding public courses even as curtains of smoke swept across the vista. “I don’t think they ever quit,” said Barbara Bowen of the zoo’s public relations department.

Along with fire crews, the blaze brought out the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad, concerned about the fate of an LAPD storage vault in the fire area.

“There’s not a whole lot of heavy stuff in there, but there’s enough to make a bad pop if it goes up,” said bomb squad Cmdr. William Russell, who added that the bunker contained fireworks and “other stuff we’ve confiscated over the years.”

Some of the fire hydrants in the burn area were not working, forcing firefighters to extend hoses from functioning hydrants.

“We’ve been upgrading all the fire systems, but there’s only so much you can do,” said the park’s mechanical supervisor, Larry Patrich. Four malfunctioning hydrants in the fire zone were next on the park’s repair list, he added.

By Tuesday night, officials said the fire was almost entirely contained. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.