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Forward progress of Sepulveda Fire near 405 Freeway stopped, evacuation warnings lifted

Firefighters make quick work of brush fire that erupted off 405 Freeway near Sherman Oaks
Firefighters make quick work of brush fire that erupted off 405 Freeway near Sherman Oaks 01:40:05

Firefighters stopped the forward progress of a 40-acre brush fire in the Sepulveda Pass near the I-405 Freeway late Wednesday. Cal Fire reported the blaze was 60% contained Thursday afternoon. 

The blaze was first reported just after 11 p.m. near northbound lanes of the freeway in Sherman Oaks, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

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Fire burning in the hills above the I-405 Freeway in Sherman Oaks.  KCAL News

The Sepulveda Fire had burned through approximately 40 acres of brush among 8-15 mph winds, with gusts up to 25 mph. Around 250 Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters quickly responded to the area, according to Cal Fire.

Around 11:30 p.m., evacuation warnings were issued for people living in the 1500 block of Casiano Road north of Moraga Drive east of Sepulveda Boulevard, and west of Chalon Road. 

Just before 1 a.m., no visible flames could be seen on the hillside as several water-dropping helicopters continued to douse the area, completely stopping the forward progress about one hour later.  

By 2 a.m., all evacuation warnings were lifted.

Below is a searchable map showing evacuation orders updated in real time.

California Highway Patrol officers issued a SigAlert for the Getty Center Drive offramp on both sides of the 405 Freeway, as well as the Sepulveda Boulevard offramp for southbound lanes at around 12:15 a.m. 

Around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the CHP canceled the SigAlert reopening the offramps. 

With SkyCal overhead, dozens of fire engines could be seen parked on roads below the fire, while water-dropping aircraft worked from above. The flames moved slowly uphill towards E. Sepulveda Fire Road, where a helicopter could be seen dropping loads of water on the largest patches of fire.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. 

The spot of the fire was just miles east over the Santa Monica Mountains from current areas that remain under evacuation order from the devastating Palisades Fire, which broke out earlier in January and torched more than 23,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes. 

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