Fred Ortega
More than 90 firefighters responded to a brush fire alongside the
Foothill (210) Freeway near La Crescenta on Wednesday , quickly
dousing the flames before they could pose a threat to homes,
officials said.
No one was hurt in the fire, which scorched about three quarters
of an acre, Battalion Chief Michael Bowman said. The cause of the
fire, which was under investigation, was "suspicious," he added.
The incident, which occurred at 4:08 p.m., drew 23 companies from
the Glendale Fire Department, Forest Service and Los Angeles City
Fire Department to the hillside located just before the eastbound
Lowell Avenue exit of the Foothill (210) Freeway. Three helicopter
units also responded to the scene, but were used only for air
reconnaissance, Bowman said.
"We had so many agencies working in total coordination on this
incident," Bowman said. "It was a beauty to have so much firepower on
this thing right off the bat, and that is why we were able to stop
this thing so quickly. That and the mild conditions."
The fire was brought under control by 4:15 p.m., Bowman said. The
flames were completely extinguished by 4:45 p.m.
The two right lanes of the freeway remained closed until 5:20 p.m.
while crews worked on securing the site. Forest Service crews used
chain saws to clear debris and create a fire line.
"The fire line helps keep vegetation away from the burned areas,
so if anything is left of the fire it can't reignite," Forest Service
Division Chief Will Spyrison said.
Bowman expects this to be a busy fire season because of the heavy
rains experienced throughout the Southland last winter.
"Big stuff like trees that were dry and brown last year will stay
green," he said. "But the stuff underneath, the seasonal grass, that
burns really quick, and there is going to be a lot of that due to the
rains."
* FRED ORTEGA covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818)
637-3235 or by e-mail at fred.ortega@latimes.com.
