Fire Near Castaic Spreading on 2 Fronts : Thousands of Acres Scorched Despite Humidity That Slows Down Flames

Firefighters in the Angeles National Forest faced fire on two fronts Tuesday as a blaze moving in opposite directions was slowed somewhat by moist air, but continued to consume thousands of acres of dry brush near Castaic Lake.

The three-day fire, centered in an area of rugged terrain northeast of Castaic Lake, had charred 12,000 acres of brushland, destroyed a fire lookout tower and forced the evacuation of three county rehabilitation and juvenile detention centers.

A rise in humidity slowed the spread of the flames and allowed firefighters to contain about 25% of the fire. Officials hoped to have the fire contained by about 6 p.m. Thursday.

On Tuesday morning, Lake Hughes-Elizabeth Lake Elementary School canceled classes when the northern front moved within six miles of the area, but classes were scheduled to resume today.

And a Los Angeles County Fire Department search party found a Department of Water and Power employee who had been caught behind the southwestern front Monday and spent the night in his truck. He was unharmed.

Cause Not Known

The cause of the fire was unknown. It had been moving in a southwest direction, but early Tuesday morning a portion of the charred north edge of the fire was fanned by winds and began advancing north and northeast.

“It got very active and made a run up Elizabeth Lake Canyon,” said Robert Brady, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. “That made it a two-fold attack for us.”

Because the northern front could threaten populated areas of Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake, firefighters spent most of Tuesday cutting containment lines there. By late in the day, the northern front, slowed by winds from the northeast, was not considered a threat to the communities.

More than 1,000 firefighters from across the state are on the fire lines, reinforced by 10 air tankers and six helicopters. Officials said the area had not burned since the 1920s, leaving a thick buildup of dead brush as fuel.

Edward C. Bryant, 37, of Walnut, was caught behind the southwestern fire front Monday when making a delivery to a power station north of Castaic Lake. Bryant was finally found Tuesday at 8 a.m. about a mile from the fire. He was taken out of the fire zone by helicopter.