Smoke was more of a concern in Chatsworth today than fire, as it seems the porn capitol of the world escaped the flames, though employees located in surrounding areas still feared for their homes.
Although located in Los Angeles County, one of the four counties that President Bush has declared a major disaster zone, Chatsworth, where the majority of adult studios are located, has avoided the disaster that loomed near on Monday. The fires singed the edges of the Chatsworth, but firefighters with the aid of some friendly winds were able to prevent the fires from spreading, and comparatively little damage occurred to the city known for porn.
Although a few members of the industry had their homes in danger, the business offices were safely located, with the exception of Matrix Content, the Web content provider that was evacuated on Monday.
However, with the fire hitting portions of so many surrounding areas industry insiders anticipated missing the street date on a few titles because of lost hours by the work force that keeps the porn machine running.
Sections of the 118 freeway, a major thoroughfare for commuters, was blocked off in areas, causing long delays experienced long delays to and from work.
Not to mention employees who had homes in the danger zone, commuters that lived in Simi Valley, Indian Springs, or Rocky Peak or other places that have been scorched in the worst fire in at least a decade.
Videoteam owner Christian Mann voluntarily evacuated his condo on Sunday, located near the Indian Hills section of Chatsworth. The next day his neighbors faced mandatory evacuation, as Mann watched the fires approach his own condo on television.
“How close? Most of the news reports with the lady wearing the white mask on television yesterday, on channel 9. She was about two-hundred feet from my driveway,” Mann told AVN.com
While being interviewed, Mann had to talk to an employee who was watching the fires approach her own apartment in Stevenson Ranch, south of Chatsworth. He suggested she not even attempt to go home, noting that the firefighters and police would have created roadblocks, preventing people from entering danger zones.
Asia Carrera was evacuated from her Chatsworth home, reportedly grabbing her cats, her clothes and her computer – because she needed to keep her Website running.
"I've been through it before, but this [fire] is a hell of a lot bigger," Carrera told the Los Angeles Times. "I didn't sleep at all last night. I sat by the window and looked at the sky glowing red."
Porn star/comic book vampire Taylor Wane lives near Porter Ranch, one of the areas that was considered in danger. The photograph of billowing smoke accompanying this story was taken from her rooftop. "I'm right below the Porter Ranch area that's in trouble right now, so I'm just, I'm hoping that it doesn't come down any further than that. Actually, I'm shittin' myself. I hear it's blowing the other way, so let's hope it keeps going… well no, let's hope it stops. Let's pray for rain."
Photographer Scott Preston is also known to have been evacuated, but has not been heard from yet. John Chambliss and Robert Herrera of Simon Wolf Productions also had the house they share face danger on Rocky Peak. Given the concentration of the adult community in the surrounding area, there are likely many more that have been affected, though all are believed to be safe.
At least ten fires have ravaged southern California since October 21, charring more than half a million acres of land from Simi Valley to the Mexican border, killing at least 15 along the way.
