The Bel Air Fire was a disaster that began as a brush fire on November 6, 1961, in the Bel Air community of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. The fire destroyed 484 homes and burned At least 200 Firemen were injured, with mostly eye injuries due to the smoke and flying embers. The fire was fueled by strong

Santa Ana wind The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...

s. There were multiple celebrities affected by the fire. Actors

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in ''Giant'' (1956). In the next ten years ...

and

Brooke Hayward Brooke Hayward (born July 5, 1937) is an American actress and model. Her memoir, '' Haywire'' was a best-seller. Early life and education Born in Los Angeles, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and s ...

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

, Joan Fontaine, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, comedian

Joe E. Brown Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...

, Nobel laureate chemist Willard Libby, composers Lukas Foss and

Conrad Salinger Conrad Salinger (August 30, 1901, Brookline, Massachusetts – June 17, 1962, Pacific Palisades, California) was an American arranger, orchestrator and composer, who studied classical composition at the Paris Conservatoire. He is credited with ...

, and writer Aldous Huxley all lost homes in the fire. Others that fought flames before they evacuated were former Vice President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

, actor Robert Taylor, film producer Keith Daniels and orchestra leader

Billy Vaughn Richard Smith "Billy" Vaughn (April 12, 1919 – September 26, 1991) was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records. Biography Vaughn was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, United States, where his father, ...

. The fire's precise cause was not determined, but it was believed to be accidental.

Aftermath

As a result of the Bel Air Fire, Los Angeles initiated a series of laws and fire safety policies. These included the banning of

wood shingle Wood shingles are thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roof shingle, roofs and walls of buildings to protect them from the weather. Historically roof shingle, shingles, also known as shakes, were split from straight grained, kno ...

roofs in new construction and one of the most stringent brush clearance policies in the US. The

Los Angeles City Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides emergency medical services, fire cause determination, fire prevention, fire suppression, hazardous materials mitigation, and technical rescue services to the city of Los Angeles ...

produced a documentary, "Design For Disaster", about the wildfire, narrated by

William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...

. It called the densely packed homes nestled on hillsides covered in dry brush "a serious problem in fire protection, even under the best of conditions."

References

Wildfires in Los Angeles County, California 1961 fires in the United States 1961 in California 1960s wildfires in the United States Bel Air, Los Angeles Brentwood, Los Angeles Santa Monica Mountains 1961 natural disasters in the United States 1961 in Los Angeles November 1961 events in the United States {{disaster-stub