Each week, reel america brings you archival films that help tell the story of the 20th century. A november 6, 1961, a fire broke out near bel air, los angeles. It destroyed 400 homes, damaged 190 others. This is a 1962 documentary that tells the story of the fire, examines the causes and proposes actions to prevent such destruction in the future. This 30 minute film is narrated by actor william conrad. Designed for disaster, the story of the bel air conflagration. Santa ana, indians named it santana, the devil wind. The atmosphere grows tense, oppressive. People argue more. Even the suicide rate rises during the months of the santa ana. This climate attracts 300,000 people a month to the city of los angeles who become permanent residents. They settle into hotels, apartments, homes along the coast, inland throughout the central residential sections to the far reaches of the valleys. Some move up to the scenic, secluded hill area. Lush vegetation softens the ridges and valleys and breezes blow clean. Increasingly strong during a late fall months of the santa ana and dangerously dry when there has been no rain. It is during this unstable period, the potential of thick dry oak, all within the city boundaries of los angeles. The fastest burning groundcover in the western hemisphere. Nestled in the cover, one of the greatest concentrations of high valued homes in america. On the morning of november 6, 1961, Fire Department dispatchers find conditions far from the best. The winds are strong, humidity and moisture rockbottom, fire danger extreme. A condition of high hazard is declared throughout. Standby companies are moved up from stations near brush areas. Even as they move, trouble strikes. At 8 15 a. M. , an alert of fire is relayed. All units concerned, it reported brush fire in the mountain area. The division chief responds immediately. The chief calls for additional companies. The fire is starting from its point of origin north of mulholland on stone canyon, it spreads out in three directions. The First Arriving unit succeeds in stopping it before it reaches several homes. But there is no stopping it on the south. The winds are driving the flames fast and hard. The chief declares the condition a major emergency. Support from air tankers requested. All key personnel are alerted. Deputy and division chief move up to take command. The fire is heading straight down stone canyon. Move directly into the fire. The fire has jumped mulholland and headed toward bel air. To these men, brushfires are routine, but this one is pushing them hard. The flames head uphill. Firemen with highpressure hose stream knock the fire down as it tries to make the jump as it did over mulholland. In the canyon between, there lies the problem. Rough terrain impedes fire crews in meeting the flames head on. It now threatens residential areas ahead. Chief engineer William Miller arrives to take charge of fire operation. He is prompted to order everything available. Time is vital, the fire is spreading, growing by the minute. Air tankers sweep in. Fire danger is compounded by the santa anas, driving through at 50 miles per hour. 100, 200, 300 feet ahead, spot fires appear from nowhere. All offduty firemen are recalled to hold back what may come if the wind plays tricks. And the wind does. Fire is west, part of stone canyon. Fire officers alert the command post of the new outbreak. I can see the fire on the west side. At least 500 feet further south. It is now out of control. Defense forces are split once again to handle the two additional fronts and equipment and manpower. Flames begin spreading at the rate of 13 acres per minute. Active change from offense to defense. The approaching fire to begin the necessary techniques of hit and run firefighting. Get ahead of the fire, take a stand, knock it down, move ahead again, always stay ahead of the fire. The firemen almost in the dark fight to keep flames confined to a single home. The fire is below them, sweeping south. Going up ahead with the wind dropping out of the men. They are no longer ahead of the fire. Commanders request more and more help as the flames spread. We are going to begin losing more houses. House is going on both sides. About 15 houses. We are dispatching everything we have. Everything is not enough. Badly needed help coming from county firefighting units. Operators work ahead of the flames. 23 surrounding municipalities. Fire officials decide where residents may remain and where they may not. Decisions are based on the prime consideration of any fire, safety to human life. Police officers are hardpressed to control the evacuation of residents. While they work, radios send messages. We need Police Assistance to evacuate these people. There is a lady having difficulty breathing. We have a school bus trapped. The driver and the bus are trapped. We have people trapped on foot. We need help from the police department. There is a lady trapped. Congestion blocks fire trucks, everyone must use the same narrow streets, no crossroads connect the steep canyons. Sightseers add to the problem. Police are forced to arrest many. Disaster to the canyons, on the hillsides, on the ridges, houses are burning. Smoke blacks out the sun. Through windows, ventilators. Wind that whips roof fires into the bellows of flames. Fire companies are battered by waves of flames. The situation becomes one of scattered running battles as fire crews individual targets. Water is drafted from strength wherever possible. Where water is limited, homes must be passed by. A difficult choice must be made. Houses with combustible rubes and those too close to brush our poor risks. Once they extinguish, they catch fire again and again. Nevertheless, the firemen try. Air tankers come in low and often despite collision hazards. They do their best work in conjunction with ground crews to prevent fire spread. More equipment is moved in as fires sweep south at incredible speeds. Every burning thing is hurled away hurled ahead, the fire leaps from wood roof to wood roof. Spot fires appear everywhere. A blaze which is no longer just a major brush fire, just a group of burning buildings. It is a fullscale conflagration. On the move, headed for the thickly Populated Areas of every residential section north and south of sunset boulevard. There is one chance, every piece of equipment not actively involved in saving structures is being ordered north of sunset. Embers are carried high into the atmosphere. There is no clearly defined fire. The sector chief work to maintain order where sectors no longer exist. Smoke imposed darkness throughout the fire areas. A second major brush fire has broken loose, destroyed nine homes, and is racing toward the main fire to blacken 10,000 acres. Another brush fire one half mile east. Ground crews respond, and air tanker is directed ahead of their arrival to delay progress of the fire. In brentwood, a third crisis. A completely unexpected phenomenon takes place. Residential areas and hills above, the embers spread. 60 to 70 fires. Vitally needed equipment must be pulled from critical areas. At the same time, a fourth emergency hits. Fire in the space of a few minutes sweeps the largest manmade firebreak. Everything possible is being thrown into the path of the conflagration that will not stop. Men do not know where the fire stops or where it begins or how far it will go or how much longer. Too many streets, too many homes, too many fires. To these men, the whole thing seems unreal. The wind will not stop. In late afternoon, they get their first break. There is no time for confrontation. In its path lies one of the most heavily populated most exclusive, most hazardous canyons. They watch a sky full of smoke turn red from embers and reflected flames. The fire, once again, is on a rampage. Flames began their climb to the top. And the fight begins. Within minutes, the canyon is swallowed in a maelstrom of smoke and fire. Below, firefighters take beatings in their stand between homes and fire. Fire coats are charred and endurance tested. The homes still stand. As the fire swings north, a great concentration of Ground Forces moves against its line of attack and the citys most disastrous fire is finally beaten down to a smoldering containment. On november 7, the morning sun reveals the ruins. Trees, irreplaceable possessions. A row of dead homes on dead streets. 484 times, fire proved its efficiency by incinerating what families had taken years to acquire. 6090 acres of black and hills, canyons, and neighborhoods. Over 3000 men, 240 fire vehicles, and 16 aircraft try to stop it. Did stop it. But only after the harddriving santa anna died down and gave them a chance. They saved over 2200 homes, a major college. Not one single life was lost, not one critical burn case reported. The firemen had set a new record. Still people wonder, fire victims and those who read about the fire asked the same question how can a brush fire get so far out of control within a well protected city . Lets analyze this fire and see what did happen. Why is a framework of bare wood left unharmed . Why does a roaring fire suddenly stop and heavy brush as of cut by a knife . Why do flames spare one house and consume identical dwellings on all sides . A general pattern of fire behavior can be explained. When a brush fire is traveling downhill, a wide clearance around the house gives firemen a break. Spot fires merged from the original blaze, you will see fire that leaves and brickwork. Lets take a look at fire in action. Brush fires create their own wind. The santa ana winds were moving in a southwesterly direction from desert to coast. Numerous ridges of the Santa Monicas were channeling ground wins due south. It was that wins traveling in two directions. When the fire reached bel air and consumed homes, heat lifted burning shingles 20003000 feet in the air. Causing the upperlevel wind currents to be carried well over a mile. Scores of spot fires began spreading. This action is demonstrated in these pictures taken by ucla. The same picture increased to many times its original speed. This leapfrog phenomenon coupled with powerful ground wind created a unique fire problem. No one has ever faced this problem before, no definite plan of defense could be found. A Fire Department can do nothing more than pick up individual houses and try to save them. How can a modern water system properly designed to meet emergency fire conditions fail to function . Lets look at this simplified diagram of houses on the hill. When thousands of outlets are opened below the hill, water pressure is lost. When the water supply comes from a distant location, unnecessary use simply drains the water from the upper system. We have considered water, wind, and weather. Now there is the problem of how a house is constructed and where. A big picture window to let the fire inside. Under any such conditions, not much of a chance. They called this a design for disaster. They predicted the belair fire. Unless citizens and city officials Work Together on a plan of fire defense, a production was nothing new to firemen. They have their own ideas about people who dont like water pumping stations in their neighborhood because they feel they are unsightly. Or homeowners who refuse to cut brush away from their homes. It does not take a majority to start a fire. You are only as safe as your neighbors. If you live in a hazardous area, you are gambling that a fire will not start up ashes, cigarettes, children with matches, a faulty chimney, auto accident, a firebug, fallen wires, or lightning. These are the odds. If you win, you get to keep what you already have. If you lose, fire, the winner, takes all. Screeria nigeria. The immigration act of 1965 dramatically increased immigration to the United States and eliminated bias from those coming from asia and africa. Historians describe how the law changed the culture of the United States and how these new immigrants integrated into american society. This 45 Minute Program is part of the western History Association conference. Good morning and welcome to 50 years of california and the world. We thank the western History Association for inviting us to participate this year and the 2014 conference and want to welcome you to ourcu