August 1, 2010 4:48 PM
- Text
Calif. Wildfire 82 Percent Contained
(CBS/AP)
Latest Update 10:17 p.m. ET
Fire crews are steadily gaining ground on a now smoldering two-day old wildfire that charred nearly 22 square miles of brush in the high desert north of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Don Kunitomi said Saturday evening that the blaze was 82 percent contained. He says no structures are threatened and all evacuation orders have been rescinded.
A separate wildfire burning for several hours in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora, west of Pasadena, had burned some 15 acres of heavy brush by late Saturday afternoon. Kunitomi says that fire is 80 percent contained and did not threaten any structures.
Some 1,300 firefighters were assigned to the fire near Palmdale, and the city of 139,000 was filled with thick smoke.
Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Sam Padilla said there were no open flames - just smoldering embers - which has slowed the fire's spread.
"The way you work embers is by using hoses on the ground, so we're relying on our foot soldiers today," Kunitomi said. "It's important to clean up those embers because one hot gust of wind can start a spot fire."
Officials were prepared to again activate water-dropping aircraft, which helped hold back the fire late Friday when flames jumped an aqueduct and menaced power lines that deliver electricity to Southern California.
Winds apparently carried embers across the wide concrete channel, with flames rapidly spreading to backyard fences. As many as 2,300 structures were threatened at the height of the fire late Thursday. Evacuation orders were lifted Friday morning, but some roads remained closed.
One house and three mobile homes were destroyed, authorities said.
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Bryant said an investigation into the cause of the fire is centering on workers who were hammering on some bolts to remove a tire rim.
Crews also were battling a wildfire that has burned about 12 acres of heavy brush in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora, west of Pasadena.
Kunitomi said about 115 firefighters were assigned to the blaze that started Saturday morning, and at least two helicopters were providing air support. Most of the fire was burning inside the forest and no structures were threatened, he said.
Elsewhere, good weather in neighboring Kern County helped firefighters build containment lines around two wildfires that destroyed homes in remote mountain communities earlier in the week.
Officials said a fire near Tehachapi that destroyed 23 homes and charred 2½ square miles of heavy brush was expected to be fully contained by Sunday.
To the north, a blaze that destroyed eight residences as it spread across about 26 square miles of the Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada was also expected to be contained this weekend.
Fire crews are steadily gaining ground on a now smoldering two-day old wildfire that charred nearly 22 square miles of brush in the high desert north of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Don Kunitomi said Saturday evening that the blaze was 82 percent contained. He says no structures are threatened and all evacuation orders have been rescinded.
A separate wildfire burning for several hours in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora, west of Pasadena, had burned some 15 acres of heavy brush by late Saturday afternoon. Kunitomi says that fire is 80 percent contained and did not threaten any structures.
Some 1,300 firefighters were assigned to the fire near Palmdale, and the city of 139,000 was filled with thick smoke.
Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Sam Padilla said there were no open flames - just smoldering embers - which has slowed the fire's spread.
"The way you work embers is by using hoses on the ground, so we're relying on our foot soldiers today," Kunitomi said. "It's important to clean up those embers because one hot gust of wind can start a spot fire."
Officials were prepared to again activate water-dropping aircraft, which helped hold back the fire late Friday when flames jumped an aqueduct and menaced power lines that deliver electricity to Southern California.
Winds apparently carried embers across the wide concrete channel, with flames rapidly spreading to backyard fences. As many as 2,300 structures were threatened at the height of the fire late Thursday. Evacuation orders were lifted Friday morning, but some roads remained closed.
One house and three mobile homes were destroyed, authorities said.
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Bryant said an investigation into the cause of the fire is centering on workers who were hammering on some bolts to remove a tire rim.
Crews also were battling a wildfire that has burned about 12 acres of heavy brush in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora, west of Pasadena.
Kunitomi said about 115 firefighters were assigned to the blaze that started Saturday morning, and at least two helicopters were providing air support. Most of the fire was burning inside the forest and no structures were threatened, he said.
Elsewhere, good weather in neighboring Kern County helped firefighters build containment lines around two wildfires that destroyed homes in remote mountain communities earlier in the week.
Officials said a fire near Tehachapi that destroyed 23 homes and charred 2½ square miles of heavy brush was expected to be fully contained by Sunday.
To the north, a blaze that destroyed eight residences as it spread across about 26 square miles of the Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada was also expected to be contained this weekend.
Latest Now in National
- Panetta to Marines: "Look into" SS flag photo
- N.H. school on lockdown after shooting
- A reporter's life: On the trail of Mitt Romney
- President Obama on contraception coverage
- Music industry players on Grammys, tech issues
- Grammy roundtable: Changing music biz
- Octavia Spencer on her "overnight success"
- Marine vet with PTSD found after 2 days in snow
- 5 killed in wrong-way crash in La.
- Grammys preview
- Report: Teacher in L.A. scandal paid $40K to go
- Music industry longevity: What it takes
- Grammy roundtable: Musical awakenings
- NYPD boss' son returns to TV after rape claim
- US airmen's killer gets life sentence in Germany
- Jason Aldean hoping to win a Grammy
- Music industry heavyweights talk Grammy nominees
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Panetta to Marines: "Look into" SS flag photo
- NH grade school reports self-inflicted shooting
- NYSE stocks posting largest percentage decreases
- Most active New York Stock Exchange-traded stocks
on Facebook
- Josh Powell had "incestuous" images on his home computer, authorities say
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Notorious teacher sex scandals
on CBS News






