A fire that erupted in the Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland Drive in Studio City was put out within two hours, Los Angeles Fire officials said.
A transformer that was on fire apparently caused some power outages in Studio City and sparked some brush fires, but no homes were in danger, and no one was injured.
This second smaller fire was not related to the fire near the Getty Center, but it did divert some fire crews away from the larger fire in the Sepulveda Pass, said LAFD fire spokesman Cecil Manresa.
The Studio City fire erupted about 4:20 p.m. The address given on the scanners was the exact address in the 12000 block of Mulholland Drive as the longtime home of Jack Nicholson, located above Studio City.
Although it wasn't clear whether the house was in danger, Los Angeles City Fire crews used the address of Nicholson's house as a temporary base for a few hours as this second blaze cropped up.
Meanwhile, traffic became a nightmare. Ventura Boulevard was closed both directions, but opened at 5:45 p.m. Coldwater Canyon is closed and Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon and Benedict Canyon coming into the San Fernando Valley is at gridlock in some places. Traffic was still unusually heavy at 6:30 p.m.
After the transformer erupted into flames, fire crews were spraying water onto it continuously to extinguis the blaze. KCAL-9 helicopter crews showed live coverage of the burning transformer on a utility pole.
The fire was nearing homes at the 14000 block of Mulholland, but no homes were in danger. Power in Studio City was knocked out sporadically all the way down to Ventura Boulevard in private homes, but it wasn't clear if businesses or streetlights were hit with a power outage.
Los Angeles Fire Capt. Jaime Moore said that the smaller Studio City fire was mostly likely not related to the larger fire in the Sepulveda Pass.
The Studio City fire is not far from and in Studio City.
Nicholson has owned the 3,303-square-foot house since 1969. It was built in 1957, and is part of celebrity lore because it is the address where director Roman Polanski allegedly had sex with an underaged girl.
Temperatures in Studio City hit 106 degrees at 4 p.m. A breeze was coming in as the fire was being contained, but by 5:30 p.m. temperatures still hit 105 in Studio City.
Stay tuned to Studio City Patch for the latest information.
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