Fire Updates

Fires burns 3,000 acres in Kern River Canyon

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:15:06 -0700

A fire broke out today in Kern River Canyon near Lake Isabella and quickly spread to over 200 acres within an hour, fire officials said. Over 3,00 acres of brush had burned by 4:00 p.m.

A U.S. Forest Service officials said the fire was 10 percent contained.

No homes or structures were being threatened.

Recreational sites in the Lower Kern river were given evacuation orders.

The Old Kern Canyon Road was temporarily closed, while Highway 178 remained open.

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San Diego Freeway brush fire flares back up

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:10:30 -0700

The 10-acre brush fire that scorched the side of the San Diego (405) Freeway in Bel Air Saturday apparently sprang back to life today, forcing firefighters to get back on a hillside, and closing one northbound lane over Sepulveda Pass.

Motorists driving through the pass called in to report that smoke was rising from a freeway road cut just before 7 a.m., California Highway Patrol dispatchers said.

The right lane of the five-lane northbound freeway was blocked off just north of the Getty Center interchange at the request of Los Angeles city firefighters at 7:15. The lane remained blocked three hours later.

A city fire dispatcher said firefighters had remained at the freeway side all night in case such a flare-up erupted.``We're baby sitting this whole thing. We always have flare ups.

``No (new) activity over there,'' he said. ``Nothing major.''

Brush fire burns 10 acres near San Diego Freeway [Updated]

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:44:37 -0700

A fire burned 10 acres of brush Saturday near the Getty Center before being put out, a city fire official said.

The fire was reported at 5:01 p.m. along the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway at Getty Center Drive, said Devin Gales of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

No structures were damaged, although one in Bel Air Estates was being protected at one point.

Gales said water-dropping helicopters helped 271 firefighters douse the fire by 7:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

Kern County brush fire forces evacuations

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:28:06 -0700

A brush fire has burned about 750 acres in the Lebec area of the Tejon Pass, about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Approximately 120 firefighters from Kern County Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, L.A. County and the U.S. Forest Service are on the scene. The fire was reported at 12:15 p.m. No word on containment was available.

Structures are being threatened and residents are currently being evacuated. Evacuees are being sent to Fraizer Mountain High School.

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Firefighters battle 120-acre blaze in Angeles National Forest

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:08:55 -0700

Los Angeles County and Angeles National Forest fire crews are responding to a brush fire south of the Big Pines Highway near Largo Vista Road near Valyermo. A Forest Service official says voluntary evacuations had previously been ordered for homes near Big Pines Highway.

Forest officials said the fire was 50 percent contained as of 8:15 p.m. The fire had originally been reported about 3:00 p.m.

One Forest Service firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital with a broken collarbone. Officials could not confirm how the firefighter was injured.

Seventeen fire engines, seven air tankers and two water tankers are assisting six hand crews on the scene.

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San Bernardino forest fire 100 percent contained

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:37:33 -0700

U.S. Forest Service officials reported that the Miller Fire in the San Bernardino Natoinal Forest has burned 66 acres and is 100 percent contained.

The fire started Tuesday shortly before 5 p.m. on the northern edge of Lake Silverwood, north of Crestline in the San Bernardino mountains.

Firefighters will continue to work the hot spots over the weekend. Control is estimated for Monday.

Fire officials conducting an aerial overflight today updated the acreage to 66 acres. Previous reports listed the fire as having burned 100 acres.

There are no threats to nearby residents or the Summit Valley area of Hesperia.

All highways remain open and no evacuations are in place.

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Apartment fire in Westlake District extinguished

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:54:15 -0700

A fire broke out today in an apartment building in the Westlake District, but no one was hurt, a city fire official said.

The fire was reported at 1:51 p.m. on the second floor of an apartment building at 430 S. Union Ave., said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Rescuers arriving at the location reported fire in two units on the second floor, spreading to two units on the floor above, Humphrey said.

With 84 firefighters on the scene, the fire was out in 34 minutes, Humphrey said.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Victorville brush fire contained; 25 acres burned

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:58:18 -0700

A small brush fire in the high desert of Victorville burned about 25 acres before being contained. It was first reported at 2:41 p.m. and was extinguished by 8:00 p.m.

An Apple Valley Fire spokeswoman said the fire was fueled by heavy to moderate brush within a dry riverbed.

She said the fire had not threatened any structures.

The Mojave river is near a school and Highway 18. Victorville is about 100 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in San Bernardino County.

Firefighters plan to mop up the flames overnight.

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Firefighters contain 110-acre Banning fire

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:44:33 -0700

The Riverside County Fire Department has reported that the Potrero Fire has been fully contained as of 8:00 p.m. The fire in the dry brush of Hathaway Canyon near Foothill and Potrero roads had consumed 110 acres.

Over 200 firefighters from the Riverside city and county departments, along with Forest Service personnel tackled the blaze. Ground crews were also aided by water-dropping helicopters and air tankers as well as bulldozers.

No injuries or damages to structures were reported, county fire officials announced.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Griffith brush fire extinguished

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:00:00 -0700

A brush fire that broke out late afternoon Monday in Griffith Park, near the Los Angeles Zoo, was extinguished in 68 minutes by 74 firefighters, including five helicopters.

The fire was reported at 4:57 p.m. in the northeast corner of Griffith Park near the Golden State (5) and Ventura (134) freeways, said Devin Gales of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Flames would have had to leap across a major road to threaten the zoo, Gales said.

Mild temperatures and winds no stronger than 8 mph helped firefighters get the upper hand, Gales said.

Traffic was rerouted from Zoo Drive to free the street for firefighting equipment and personnel.

While most of the firefighters were released, a few remained behind to deal with hot spots in the medium to heavy brush.

Firefighters extinguish Montecito Heights brush fire

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:43:26 -0700

A small brush fire that broke out Sunday in Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in Montecito Heights was knocked down by city firefighters.

The brush fire was reported at 3:39 p.m. at 386 S Avenue 52 near Griffith Avenue and the northbound Pasadena (110) Freeway, said city fire spokesman Brian Humphrey.

"The fire burned less than an acre and was knocked down at 4:11 p.m.", said Humphrey.

There were no injuries and no structures were threatened, said Humphrey.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Crews battling fires along Antelope Valley Freeway near Acton

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:22:32 -0700

The right lane of the southbound Antelope Valley (14) Freeway has been closed from Crown Valley parkway to Red Rover Mine Road, in Acton, as firefighters battle what may be three fires along the freeway.

Sierra Highway may be affected soon by the flames, said a CHP patrol officer at the location.

The fires broke out starting at 12:51 p.m. along the freeway at Red Rover Mine Road.

Roads closed, crashes reported near Calabasas brush fire

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:15:29 -0700

Mureau Road has been closed between Mountain View Drive and its overpass above the Ventura (101) Freeway at Calabasas Road, as firefighters battle a brushfire north of the 101 and east of Las Virgenes Road. Two lanes of the four westbound freeway lanes have been blocked by fire trucks.

At least two car crashes are reported on the westbound U.S. 101 freeway, and a person has reportedly suffered a heart attack at Mureau Road at Mountain View Drive.

[Updated] Brush fire breaks out near Calabasas City Hall

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:35:05 -0700

Update: Crews were able to gain control over the fast-spreading Calabasas fire by 1:32 p.m. There were no reports of damage to nearby structures. A separate blaze that broke out in Chatsworth, north of the Reagan (118) Freeway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard's north end, was also extinguished shortly after firefighters arrived at the scene.

A brushfire described by a California Highway Patrol officer as "very large" broke out on vacant land near the Calabasas City Hall just before noon Sunday.

The fire was reported north of the Ventura (101) Freeway and east of Las Virgenes Road at 11:51 a.m.

In 15 minutes, it had burned 8 acres of brush, and a second alarm was called at 12:14 p.m. No structures were reported to be in immediate danger, but the fire was burning near several subdivisions and apartment complexes, and was not far from Los Angeles County fire station 125 on Las Virgenes Road.

No evacuations or road closures had been ordered by deputies as of 12:30 p.m., said a spokeswoman at the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff's station.

A large plume of smoke was visible from the San Fernando Valley. Other brushfires have started in years past on brushy vacant plots both northwest and southeast of the U.S. 101 interchange at Las Virgenes Road, including one fire that burned to Malibu in one day in 1996.

But winds were scant, humidity levels high, and temperatures low today, according to fire weather forecasts.

The Calabasas fire broke out at the same time that Los Angeles city firefighters rushed to a separate brushfire just north of the Reagan (118) Freeway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard's north end, in Chatsworth.

That fire was put out quickly, and occurred at the same spot where a small fire broke out Saturday afternoon.

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Small fire reported along freeway near Chatsworth

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:30:09 -0700

Los Angeles City firefighters are heading to a reported brushfire along the Reagan (118) Freeway near Topanga Canyon Boulevard near Chatsworth. The fire, at 21601 Mayan Drive, is described as small.

This is a separate incident from the L.A. County fire in Calabasas.

Crews rushing to Calabasas fire

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:17:56 -0700

Los Angeles County firefighters are sending a large number of fire trucks to a fire reportedly burning north of the Ventura (101) Freeway's Las Virgenes Road interchange in Calabasas. A large plume of smoke is visible from the San Fernando Valley.

KPCC Wire Services

Another Fire in Elysian Park near Dodger Stadium

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:30:40 -0700

The South bound lanes of the the 110 Pasadena freeway were shut down Saturday evening as emergency personnel arrived on scene to yet another brush fire in the hills of Elysian Park near Dodger Stadium.

At approximately 8:30pm, the dry brush and trees in the hills across the Pasadena Freeway from the Elysian Reservoir were in flames.

Police shut down the south bound lanes to allow LA City Fire Department crews to reach the flames.

Winds, humidity help firefighters gain on Crown fire

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:43:13 -0700

Gentle winds and high humidity overnight allowed firefighters to extend containment lines around 62 percent of a fire that blackened 13,980 acres in northeastern Los Angeles County.

But firefighters could not predict when full containment would be reached, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Sam Padilla said.

Some 1,700 firefighters are assigned to the so-called Crown fire overnight, and on Friday six helicopters, four fixed-wing airplanes, a DC-10 airplane, a 747 tanker plane, two helitankers were above it.

Three firefighters have been treated for minor injuries, including one who was stung by a bee. Burke said the fire has forced more than 4,000 people in the Palmdale area to relocate.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday, four homes and five outbuildings had been destroyed, and 2,500 structures had at one point or another been threatened by the fire, according to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Fred Stowers.

Residents of 500 homes in Rancho Vista were told Friday evening to "shelter in place" -- to remain in their homes and heed any future warnings -- until further notice, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida.

"We still need the roads clear, we don't need traffic jams," Padilla said Friday night.

"By sheltering in place, it enables the fire department to more quickly and swiftly defend homes or accomplish any emergency missions," he said.

"There is still active fire, hot spots and uncontained fire in the area."

The shelter-in-place order was along Rancho Vista Boulevard, between 50th Street West and 30th Street West, Nishida said, speaking from the Crown Fire command post at Pelona Vista Park in Palmdale.

In addition, there was a "hard closure" on Elizabeth Lake Road, between Godde Hill Road and 25th Street West, in the east Leona Valley area on the south side of the California Aqueduct. The hard closure means residents who evacuated the area were unable to get back in until the closure was lifted, Nishida said.

The Crown fire, which broke out about 2:20 p.m. Thursday, sent flames leaping 50 feet at times. The chaparral-fueled fire spread rapidly, aided by steep slopes in some area and winds gusting to 50 mph at times.

The fire was believed to have been sparked by "workers at the area of the origin yesterday in Agua Dulce ... working on a tire rim to remove that rim," Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Bryant said.

"They were using a hammer to try to get the bolts loose, and that's what the investigation is really focusing on right now," Bryant said Friday.

On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the command post in Palmdale.

"We were very fortunate to not have fires for quite some time because the air temperature was cool and we didn't have the experiencing of dry weather and all the winds and so on, but all of a sudden the fire season kicked in as if, `Here we are,"' Schwarzenegger said. "But we are ready and we have luckily distributed resources all over the state of California, so we are ready at any given time."

An evacuation center at Marie Kerr Park was open Friday night, said Hilary Anderson of the American Red Cross. Eight people were there around 11 p.m. Friday, Anderson said, down from an estimated 200 evacuees who stayed Thursday night at the park and another shelter at Agua Dulce Elementary School.

Earlier Friday, Southern California Edison officials said there were 21 customers without power south of Elizabeth Lake Road.

The Crown Fire continued to threaten Edison transmission and distribution lines, Edison officials said.

KPCC Wire Services

Send us your fire photos

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:06:03 -0700

We want your fire photos. E-mail them directly to our Flickr photo gallery. In the subject line of the e-mail put in a title, a simple title that says the town or area where the fire is, will suffice. In the body of the e-mail, be sure to include information about the fire including its location, the time and date the photo was taken and any observations that you made.

Email your fire photos to next27except@photos.flickr.com

(Photo of the Crown Fire courtesy Flickr user Mojave Desert)

Mandatory evacuations ordered for parts of Leona Valley near Crown Fire

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:03:41 -0700

Authorities have issued mandatory evacuations for residents of Leona Valley living within South Elizabeth Lake Road from 90th Street West to Grant Center Drive and on Bouquet Canyon Road between Spunky Canyon Road to Elizabeth Lake Road, says Inspector Matt Levesque of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

An evacuation center has been set up at Agua Dulce Elementary School, 11311 Frascati Street.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has also requested four additional fixed wing air tankers to deal with the growing blaze.

The fire is south of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway near Soledad Canyon Road

• 2,000 acres burned
• Mandatory evacuations ordered for parts of Leona Valley
• 0 percent containment
• Up to 600 firefighting personnel responding

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