The brush fire burned a reported five acres before firefighters were able to get it under control.
Just over two hours later another fire broke out along La Tuna Canyon, one and a half miles southwest of the Foothill (210) Freeway. Fire personnel from Los Angeles city and county, Glendale, Burbank and Angeles National Forest responded to the fire in the extremely rugged and steep terrain.
L.A. City Fire was the department in command because the area is within Los Angeles city boundaries.
“We had 45 engines, five helicopters, three water tenders, six camp crews and two [bull]dozers respond,” said Assistant Chief Tim Manning of L.A. City Fire Department.
According to Manning, the La Tuna Canyon fire was only 55% contained around 7:30 p.m. on July 18.
“Crews will stay here throughout the night,” Manning said.
Crews continued to monitor the fire with engines on the ground and helicopter fly-overs. Manning said that the area was extremely rugged and difficult for fire crews to get to. To counter this, helicopter water drops were used extensively.
On Saturday, helicopters continued their water drops in the area and camp crews were clearing the burned vegetation.
The hills blackened by the fire posed another danger — that of falling rocks. Firefighters kept a watchful eye to stop motorists as small boulders rolled onto the road.
Chief Joe Foley said the water drops would continue, as fire crews made certain all hot spots were contained.
“The [crews] will cut the vegetation down to the bare Earth,” Foley said.
By the time the fire was contained at 10 a.m. on Saturday it had burned 15 acres. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation but Foley said that it was considered a suspicious fire.
The side of the mountain a blacken reminder of how quickly fire can ravage an area.
