MALIBU, Calif. – A wildfire fanned by Santa Ana winds destroyed four seaside mansions and damaged at least two others Monday as it spread over more than 20 acres in this celebrity enclave, authorities said.
Flames boiled furiously out of the skeletons of million-dollar beach homes for about two hours until there was little left to burn. No injuries were reported, officials said.
More than 300 firefighters battled the blaze, which began about 5 p.m., said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Ron Haralson.
The fire burned near the Malibu Colony, one of the area’s original beachfront neighborhoods, dating to the 1930s. The densely built stretch of luxury homes has been a favorite of movie stars over the years.
Peter Camejo says he has cancer
Peter Camejo, a perennial Green Party candidate who was Ralph Nader’s running mate in 2004, said Monday he has been diagnosed with lymphoma. Camejo, 67, of Folsom, said doctors found the cancer after he underwent an MRI last month for a swollen spleen. He said doctors believe his cancer is in the early stages and is treatable.
D.C.: Legislating Sept. 11 reform
House Democrats unveiled legislation Monday aimed at implementing many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, including calls for more thorough cargo screening, better emergency communications and more money for cities at the highest risk of terrorist attack. Lee Hamilton, the former Indiana Democratic congressman who served as vice chairman of the commission, estimated that the previous Congress had enacted about half the commission’s recommendations
Navy officer to face court-martial
A Navy lawyer charged with passing secret information about Guantanamo Bay detainees to an unauthorized person was ordered on Monday to face a court-martial, the Navy said. Lt. Cmdr. Matthew M. Diaz, who was stationed at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from July 2004 until January 2005, could face more than 36 years in prison if convicted. No trial date was set for the Topeka, Kan., resident. The Navy has said the recipient of the information notified authorities. The Navy has declined to identify that person.
Khalilzad is Bush’s U.N. choice
President Bush will nominate Zalmay Khalilzad to be the U.S. envoy to the United Nations and veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker to replace him as ambassador to Iraq, the administration said Monday. Khalilzad, who is Afghan born, has also served as ambassador to Afghanistan. He will replace John Bolton, who could not win Senate confirmation and resigned last month as his temporary appointment as U.N. ambassador was about to expire.
Bush picks White House counsel
President Bush has selected Fred Fielding to be his White House counsel, sources close to the process said Monday. Fielding served as deputy to White House counsel John Dean under President Richard Nixon and as White House counsel for Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1986. He also served as a member of the commission that investigated the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Florida: A victory for slaying suspect
A judge ruled Monday that statements allegedly made to detectives by the man accused of kidnapping, raping and burying alive 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford will not be allowed at his trial. Circuit Judge Ric Howard said Orlando police detectives should not have been allowed to question John Evander Couey about a 1985 murder case because he had already told them he wanted a lawyer. Couey has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, sexual battery on a child, kidnapping and burglary in Jessica’s death. Authorities found the girl’s body in March 2005 after Couey told them where to look near her Homosassa home. She had been missing for about a month.
From Herald news services
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