Half A Dozen Wildfires Ring Much Of Greater Los Angeles

Today, after a number of mostly spot fires throughout the region in recent weeks, Los Angeles finds itself partially ringed by blazes: one in La Tuna Canyon, two more in the Angeles National Forest, one in Redlands, another one to the north near Palmdale and a sixth — the largest in the state this year — continuing to burn inland from Santa Barbara.

The results have included, just in the last 24 hours, evacuations, freeway and road closures, structure-protection efforts and a search for a group of teens who may be in the path of the flames.

Among the current blazes is a brush fire burning approximately 29 acres of vegetation alongside the Foothill (210) Freeway in Tujunga today.

Firefighters responded to the blaze burning along the eastbound side of the freeway near La Tuna Canyon Road around 4:10 p.m. The fire was burning in “light to medium” brush, at a moderate rate, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz.

LAFD crews were forced to shut down two eastbound lanes of the 210 freeway to allow water tenders access to the area.

It was unclear what may have sparked the brusher.

To the east, a brush blaze erupted in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora today, putting up a large plume of smoke and spreading rapidly near popular camping and hiking areas, such as the Bridge to Nowhere.

The Fork Fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. in the area of Glendora Mountain and East Fork roads, initially estimated at about five to 10 acres. By 4 p.m., it was reported at 75 acres and went to a second alarm as more ground and air resources were dispatched to the scene.

By 5 p.m., reports from the scene estimated the fire had grown to 249 acres.

At the onset of the fire, crews on the scene requested medical teams to treat a young child with possible burn injuries and smoke inhalation, however, they later reported no patients at the scene. No other details were immediately available. Crews also requested air support to search for a group of juveniles who were seen in the area ahead of the fire.

The fire was burning near the Camp Williams Resort campground, increasing concern about people who may be in the area and also prompting an escalation of structure-protection work in the area.

Fire and law enforcement were evacuating people out of the area.

East Fork Road was closed from Highway 39 to Glendale Mountain Road.

The National Weather Service reported temperatures in the mid-80s near the fire with relatively light winds gusting to 12 mph.

Amid high heat and gusting winds, a brush fire als raced raced across nearly 300 acres of brush today in Palmdale.

The Deer Fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. in the area of North 35th Street and Avenue Q, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Initially reported at about 10 acres, the flames advanced quickly through the grass and had grown to around 100 acres by 3 p.m. Less than an hour later, it was estimated at 300 acres.

The fire went to a second alarm as incident commanders requested additional resources to the scene.

Crews on the scene reported shortly before 4 p.m. that good progress was being made on slowing the advance of the flames. Updated mapping late Friday afternoon put the fire’s size at 272 acres.

The National Weather Service reported that the temperature in Palmdale was roughly 102 degrees at the height of the blaze, and winds near the fire were blowing at 24 mph, gusting to 36 mph.

That’s in addition to a smaller, 10-acre blaze to the north of the Redlands airport that began about 3:30 pm.

Then there is the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, which began over a week ago and, as of Friday afternoon, had grown to over 38,000 acres.

The fire, the largest in the state this year, has more than 2,000 fire personnel dedicated to it. After a week-plus, it is now thankfully 73% contained.

It’s not just Los Angeles that’s under assault.

Cal Fire stats updated today reveal that, year to date, there have been nearly 700 more wildfires than at the same point in 2023. What’s more, at this point in 2023 there had been 22,073 acres burned. This year, it’s 248,972. The five year average for this point in the year is 108,260 acres blackened.

Just yesterday the National Interagency Fire Agency, which helps pool resources, cut costs and coordinate national fire suppression and planning efforts between western states, raised its National Preparedness Level to its highest numerical score, a 5. As with Hurricanes, 5 is not good.

What that ranking means is that “national resources are heavily committed, and additional measures are being taken to support geographic areas as possible. Full commitment of national resources is ongoing, and the potential for emerging significant wildland fires is high and expected to remain high in multiple geographic areas.”

City News Service contributed to this report.