Firefighters Mopping Up 30-Acre Brush Fire in Eagle Rock Area
Firefighters Mopping Up 30-Acre Brush Fire in Eagle Rock Area
by Contributing Editor
Image from Caltrans camera shows smoke and backup from Eagle Rock brush fire.
Firefighters from Los Angeles city and county as well as Glendale are battling a brushfire that has scorched at least 30 acres of grass in the Eagle Rock area, forced some evacuations in Glendale, shut down parts of several freeways and jumped the north side of the Ventura (134) Freeway, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Monday.
The brush fire burning near the 2900 block of West Colorado Boulevard was reported at 4:09 p.m., according to fire department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart, who said firefighters had the blaze at least 25% contained.
The fire spread to the north side of the 134 Freeway and slowly backed its way toward homes in the area, Stewart said.
Three LAFD water-dropping helicopters and two L.A. county Fire Department helicopters were assisting firefighters with water drops and firefighters were making good progress against the brush fire on the left flank while the right flank was requiring additional resources, Stewart said.
The 134 Freeway was shut down on the westbound side at Figueroa and on the eastbound side at Glendale, and the southbound Glendale (2) Freeway was closed at Mountain, according to Stewart. The transition road between the westbound 134 and 2 freeways was also shut down, as was the transition road from the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway to the 134, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The fire has caused major traffic tie-ups on all the affected freeways and officials asked motorists to stay out of the area.
A first SigAlert was declared by the CHP at 4:57 p.m. The eastbound 134 was reopened around 11 p.m. The westbound lanes were reported open about 1:15 a.m. The Southbound Glendale Freeway was reopened from the Foothill Freeway and the northbound side was open from the Golden State to the 134, CHP Officer Tony Polizzi said at about 12:30 a.m. All westbound 134 lanes were reopened about 1:15 a.m. and all northbound Glendale Freeway lanes remained closed at the 134 with traffic diverted to the eastbound 134 for the rest of the night, he said.
In addition to Los Angeles County and Glendale firefighting resources, the LAFD has committed at least 215 firefighters to battling this major emergency.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered by Glendale officials on Glenoaks Boulevard from Mount Carmel Drive to Bywood Drive including all streets in between. The evacuations were lifted about 10 p.m.
So far, no injuries have been reported and no buildings have been burned, Stewart said.
The LAFD will maintain firefighters and resources at the site throughout the night to work with Glendale firefighters to mop up and handle of hot spots that might erupt, Stewart said.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
