'It's going to be a long night'

At John Marshall High School, where an evacuation center was set up, the smell of smoke filled the air, flames were visible over the hill and the roar of helicopters overhead was constant.

Capt. Dennis Barnes, with the emergency medical service of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said that only about 16 people had formally checked into the evacuation center by 9:45 p.m. Barnes arrived to treat injuries or those suffering from smoke inhalation. So far, no one has needed such treatment.

Barnes suspected that many evacuees went to the houses of friends or to hotels, but added that emergency crews would stay at Marshall as long as there appears to be a need. "It's going to be a long night for everybody," he said.

--Larry Gordon