Yonoj News
A brush fire that broke out on the east side of Sepulveda Pass near Bel-Air Wednesday night has prompted a new evacuation warning for residents south of the 1500 block of Casiano Road, north of Moraga Drive, east of Sepulveda Boulevard and west of Chalon Road. It also borders the southbound 405 Freeway just north of the Getty Center, which has been closed to traffic due to the fire. It was still smoldering Thursday morning, and smoke could be seen in the air from miles around.
Multiple crews were working on the ground and in the air, battling the flames with water drops. The wind was blowing uphill and complicating efforts, as flames were moving quickly across the hills. It’s unclear if the blaze is spreading toward homes.
The fire was just under 10 acres at its peak, and officials have not reported any injuries or structural damage so far. But it’s the latest in a series of wildfires to wreak havoc in Los Angeles County this week. The Palisades fire burned more than 2,200 acres and forced some residents to evacuate, while the Eaton fire exploded in Pasadena and Altadena.
The National Weather Service is tracking dangerous fire weather through Friday, with the danger expected to peak Thursday. The forecast calls for dry conditions and strong winds, which can increase the rate of spread of wildfires. Rain is possible starting Saturday. Firefighters stepped up preparations in fire-impacted neighborhoods, filling sandbags and preparing barriers and clearing drainage pipes and basins.
As firefighters were working on the fire, some evacuees told of chaotic scenes as they left their homes and made their way to shelters or friends’ houses. “It looked like we were driving into a wall of flames,” one resident said.
Thousands of firefighters are working to contain the various blazes. Some 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and warned to prepare to flee, according to Los Angeles County fire officials. The evacuees include residents of the Palisades fire-impacted areas, as well as those in the Eaton and Hurst fire zones.
The fires have prompted some businesses to close, including the popular Los Angeles Times office in downtown Los Angeles. A number of schools have also been impacted. Some students will be sent home, and some school activities, such as the Lunar New Year parade, have been canceled. The fires have also impacted transportation, with the Sig Alert for the Getty Center Drive off-ramp of the southbound 405 Freeway extending to the northbound lanes as well.
