Authorities say a wildfire north of Los Angeles has destroyed at least three homes and is threatening thousands more.
Captain Mike Dietrich -- the incident commander for the U.S. Forest Service -- said at a news conference Saturday night that the fire was "the perfect storm of fuels, weather and topography coming together" and called the situation "very treacherous."
He says firefighters have discovered three burned homes in remote sections of the Angeles National Forest and are looking for more that may have been destroyed.
The fire near the mountain communities of La Cañada Flintridge and Altadena had tripled in size Saturday to more than 31 square miles, sent huge billows of smoke over Los Angeles and left three people injured. Officials say they expect the Station Fire to be contained by Sept. 8.
Mandatory evacuations were extended into neighborhoods in the canyons on the northwestern edge of Altadena, Glendale, La Crescenta and Big Tujunga Canyon, Forest Service spokesman Bruce Quintelier said. It was unclear how many residents were ordered to leave.
By Saturday night, mandatory evacuation orders were lifted for areas on Vista Del Valle Road between Angeles Crest Highway and La Canada Blvd.; La Canada Blvd. north of Vista Del Valle Rd.; Big Briar Way off Haskell St.; El Vago St. between La Canada Blvd. and Alta Canyada Rd; Donna Maria Ln.; Indian Dr.; Hacienda Dr.; Alta Canyada Rd. north of El Vago St. and Linda Vista Dr.
However, new evacuation orders were issued for residences on Ocean View Blvd. north of Bristow Dr., including Bristow Dr. Derwood Dr., Manistee Dr. and Highrim Rd.; east of Palm Dr. at Ravista Ln. to Alta Canyada Road; Greenridge Dr., Forest Green Dr., Ridge Ct. and Starlight Crest Dr.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory will also be closed until at least Sunday night.
Flames crept lower down the slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, despite winds blowing predominantly in the other direction, threatening more than 2,000 homes in the La Cañada Flintridge area. At least 150 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders there.
It made a run of 6 to 8 miles to the north and west in just four hours, Dietrich said, bringing new concerns for the community of Acton and the area around Santa Clarita.
At least three people were burned and airlifted to local hospitals, Dietrich said. He had no further details on their injuries. Two of them were hurt in the Big Tujunga Canyon area, the third on the Angeles Crest Highway.
A few homes and about 25 recreational cabins have burned but exact numbers were not immediately available, Forest Service spokesman Gabriel Alvarez said.
At least two animal sanctuaries, including the Wildlife Waystation, are also threatened by the fire. More than 100 horses need to be evacuated from Osborn Stables, but the Waystation's 400 wild animals, which include bears, tigers and chimpanzees, cannot be evacuated.
The blaze has exploded to 20,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained.
Hot, dry weather was expected all day Saturday, but crews were hopeful that winds would remain light, Luna said.
Flames knocked out power to at least 164 residences in La Cañada Flintridge Saturday afternoon, according to Southern California Edison. Repair crews were ordered to stay out of the area because of fire danger.
A major goal was to keep the fire from spreading up Mount Wilson, where many of the region's broadcast and communications antennas and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory are located, officials said.
Air crews waged a fierce late afternoon battle against the southeast corner of the fire, burning dangerously close to canyon homes. Spotter planes with tankers on their tails dove well below ridge lines to lay bright orange retardant then pulled up dramatically over neighborhoods, and giant sky crane helicopters swooped in to unleash showers on the biggest flareups.
The amount of smoke was hampering air operations in some areas, officials said.
A thick layer of smoke hovered over northern Los Angeles County, and officials issued a smoke advisory for communities near the fire. Residents were urged to avoid exertion and seek air-conditioned shelter.
"It's difficult for water-dropping aircraft to get in there, but they're still trying," Forest Service spokeswoman Jessica Luna said.
A second fire in the Angeles National Forest was burning several miles to the east in a canyon above the city of Azusa. The 2,168-acre fire, which started Tuesday afternoon, was 95 percent contained Saturday. No homes were threatened, and full containment was expected by Monday.
A wildfire on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south Los Angeles County coast was 100 percent contained Saturday afternoon, according to County Fire Captain Mike Brown. As many as 1,500 people were forced to flee at the height of the fire Thursday night. Six homes received minor exterior damage, but the only structures destroyed were an outbuilding and gazebo. No injuries were reported.
Southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County, the 2,290-acre Cottonwood fire in a rural area of the San Bernardino National Forest was 30 percent contained. Crews aided by aircraft were working to build a line around the fire, which was burning in steep, rocky terrain in Beeb Canyon, according to Forest Service spokesperson Norma Bailey. No structures were threatened. Temperatures were expected to top 100 degrees in the region, but winds remained light.
Five heat-related injuries were reported, but no structures have been damaged or destroyed.
A 15-acre flareup caused nearby Highway 74 to remain closed until Sunday morning.
RSS Feed (xml)
No comments:
Post a Comment