AVALON, Calif. (AP) — A wind-driven wildfire churned through more than 500 acres of brush on Santa Catalina Island on Thursday as it moved toward Avalon, the major city on the resort isle more than 20 miles off Southern California. Evacuations were under way.
The fire was moving southeast through brush, prompting officials to evacuate residents from hilltop homes toward the beach area, said Los Angeles County fire Capt. Ron Haralson.
Smoke darkened the sky over Avalon's quaint crescent harbor, the landmark 1929 Catalina Casino and homes, restaurants and tiny hotels that cling to slopes rising sharply above the waterfront.
"There's an eerie glow over the town, we need to leave," Dan Teckenoff, publisher of the Catalina Islander, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
The island's school and hospital voluntarily evacuated, Teckenoff said.
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"It looks like the fire is over the ridge. You hear helicopters flying, you see the smoke," he said.
The Catalina Express ferry service added a third evening departure from Avalon, said spokeswoman Elaine Vaughn. She noted the 6:45 p.m. departure wasn't full and it was possible residents were waiting to see if they needed to leave before the last two sailings. Each vessel can carry up to 400 people.
The blaze erupted about 12:30 p.m. five miles east of the island's Airport in the Sky. It was fanned by winds moving at 15 mph and gusts of up to 20 mph, Haralson said.
"That's not good, not when it's dry and the terrain is hard to access by ground," Haralson said.
One county firefighter was overcome by smoke and hospitalized in stable condition.
More than 100 firefighters, aided by four water-dropping helicopters, were battling the blaze. Three air tankers swooped low over ridges and canyons to drop lines of orange fire retardant ahead of the flames.
The air attack seemed to be working, said Chuck Martin, a resident insurance agent.
"We see as the retardant hits it, it kind of puts itself out," he said. "These guys are doing a real bang-up job."
State and county fire crews and engines were being shipped from to the island by hovercraft from the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The hovercraft trip takes one hour to reach Catalina.
Late in the day the state received permission to use National Guard helicopters to fly 70 inmate firefighters across the channel.
"We can see heavy smoke from where we're at," said Art Peguero from the Hotel Mac Rae on the beach in Avalon. "I was born and raised here and I've never seen anything like this."
Peguero said about 20 hotel guests left and headed to the beach.
"They have no choice but to stay on the beach until further notice," he said.
Avalon resident Steve Adams said he was watching from his deck as helicopters dropped water on flames burning down a ridge toward town.
"Half the town has already been evacuated," Adams said by telephone.
"I've been here 25 years, and I've seen a few little fires but never anything like this," he said.
Efe Casellas, an employee at the Avalon Liquor Store and Gifts, said several customers stopped by to stock up on water and juice. "Right now we're just waiting," he said.
A huge plume of smoke was visible from the mainland.
Despite being well offshore, Catalina has been left parched by the lack of rainfall that has made the rest of Southern California easy prey for wildfires like the one that gave Los Angeles a scare this week.
Only 2 inches of rain have fallen on Catalina since January, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jamie Meier.
Catalina is a long, narrow island covering 76 square miles and is served by ferry boats from Los Angeles, Long Beach and other mainland harbors.
Avalon has a population of 3,200 that swells to more than 10,000 on weekends and in summer, according to the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
Avalon harbor and the island's other moorings are popular destinations for yachts.
Most the island is owned by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy.
