This project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian Made accessible through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation and Photo Friends
Photograph was edited for publication purposes The Bel Air Fire was a brush fire that began on November 5, 1961 in the Bel Air community of Los Angeles. 484 homes were destroyed and 16,090 acres were burned. As a direct result of the Bel Air Fire, Los Angeles initiated a series of laws and fire safety policies. These included the banning of wood shingle roofs in new construction and one of the most stringent brush clearance policies in the United States. The Los Angeles City Fire Department produced a documentary, "Design For Disaster," about the wildfire, narrated by William Conrad. Photograph caption dated November 7, 1961 reads "Flames lick at remaining portions of Stone Canyon Road house in Bel-Air area fire - Expensive structure was among homes burned in city's worst fire; note card tables in pool at left." and "Flames lick at remaining portions of Stone Canyon Road house in Bel-Air area fire - Expensive structure was one of 250 homes burned in city's worst fire." Image appeared in at least three editions of the paper.
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Fires--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Dwellings--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Rubble--California--Los Angeles Flame Smoke--California--Los Angeles Foothills--California--Los Angeles Card tables--California--Los Angeles Streets--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Lost architecture--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Swimming pools--California--Bel Air (Los Angeles) Mountains--California, Southern Santa Monica Mountains (Calif.) Bel Air (Los Angeles, Calif.) Aerial photographs Valley Times Collection photographs
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
