Monday, November 12, 2018

California fires

Firefighters saved this Shelby Mustang GT 350 PHOTO BY AP

CALIFORNIA FIRES CLAIM LIVES, PROPERTY... AND CARS

Many are spared, however, as flames continue with more winds expected

NOVEMBER 11, 2018

As winds dropped for at least 24 hours, a few details have emerged from California’s latest round of wildfires. The first priority for crews, of course, has been saving lives and saving homes, and firefighters have done a heroic job at both, given all that they are up against. In addition to that, so far, it seems that many collector cars have been spared, at least in the Malibu blazes.

Collector Andy Cohen, original founder of Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories and past owner of the Concours on Rodeo car show, lives directly above Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The flames roared all the way to the beach along much of PCH Friday night. Saturday morning as the flames seemed to have moved on from Cohen’s stretch of neighborhood, we asked how things were.

“We are all fine,” he replied, sending along a photo of flames nearly in his backyard. “Almost lost the house but everything is perfect now.”

Jim Hull's Delahaye was spared PHOTO BY PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS

Up the road in Malibu is collector and Pebble Beach entrant and judge Jim Hull, whose green Delahaye 135 MS Chapron Vedette and Bugatti Type 57 SC you may have seen at car shows. When Hull moved to Malibu nearly 20 years ago he wanted to build a house that could not only accommodate his cars, but could also withstand the inevitable fires that seem to sweep through the ‘Bu.

“"I did some research and found the first house ever built in Malibu -- a stone building that dates back to 1865,” Hull told journalist Wallace Wyss in The Malibu Times in 2000. “It's survived a lot of fires so that's the starting point for my design -- a stone house of the same general shape."

And it worked.

“No cell svc 2 days & no electricity,” Hull texted Saturday. “We’re okay and house still here but lower half of property looks like war zone. We just snuck past cops & fireman to get to our house to find it still here! Tell all that we are alive with dogs horses and even most cars, except Ranchero, tractor, barn etc are toasted!”

Little miracles seemed to happen here and there. Associated Press photographer Ringo H.W. Chiu photographed two firefighters pushing a Shelby GT 350 Mustang out of a garage as the house to which it was attached began to burn. We tracked down Chiu and asked him about the shot.

“The Mustang is the only property the firefighters saved from the house,” Chiu said.

The motorcycle destination restaurant and weekend biker hangout The Rock Store on Mulholland Highway survived unscathed.

"To all Rock Store friends: we are still here, thank God," read a message on the store's Facebok page.

An earlier posting showed an LA County Sheriff;s officer on The Store's cement steps, arms raised. "Thanks to our firefighters, responders and Sheriff John for your efforts," that post read.

Art Center grad, TV host and founder of the events Malibu Cars & Coffee and Wheels and Waves at Gladstones Fireball Tim Lawrence rode out the fires and survived with home, spouse Kathie and two dogs unscathed.

The Mike Malamut collection north of Malibu, which consists of over 200 cars in concrete warehouses in Newberry Park, sits almost directly in between the starting points of both the Woolsey and Hill fires, the two big fires that started north of Malibu. Both fires burned away from the collection.

“Last I heard all good,” said the collection’s concierge Robert Dietz.

Former racer – Daytona, Sebring, etc. – Caitlyn Jenner lost her hilltop house above Malibu to the fire.

“We’re out of the fire zone and are safe,” Jenner posted on Instagram. “Thinking about all those that are affected and hope you all are safe too.”

Farther north, in the so-called Camp Fire burning above Chico north of Sacramento, things were worse. That fire swept through with such speed and destruction that there was little that residents could do except flee. So far 23 deaths have been confirmed in that blaze. The area is still unsafe to enter so the extent of damage is as yet unknown.

“I’ve had a few folks chime in on my Billetproof Facebook page that they have had to leave hot rods behind, but no major collections that I know of,” said Billetproof hot rod show owner (and Concours d’Lemons founder) Alan Galbraith. Galbraith lives not too far away from the blaze.

Numerous cars were lost when the entire town of Paradise was wiped out. Photos showed at least one five-window Ford, an early model Thunderbird, and a classic Studebaker burned to the ground. It’ll be days at least before the extent of damage is clear.

“No one knows for sure as areas are still closed off,” said exotic car dealer Bernie Knauss, who knows much of the collector car community in the area. ”There is a Tucker from Paradise as well as some special Astons that I know were up there. A couple of my employees lost their homes and are very involved in the car culture.”

More hot dry winds are forecast for Sunday and are predicted to last through Tuesday, so the danger is far from over. More details to come.

MARK VAUGHN - West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn covers all car things west of the Mississippi from his Autoweek lair high above the LA metropolis.

Monday, November 12, 2018