LOCAL : Antelope Valley Brush Fire Burns 2,000 Acres; Blaze 80% Contained

A brush fire that threatened two small Antelope Valley communities and charred more than 2,000 acres of mostly rugged terrain was 80% contained this morning, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

Though one home and two other structures were burned Wednesday (Story, Part I, Page 3) when the fire skirted between Elizabeth Lake and Green Valley, forcing the temporary evacuation of 1,000 people, the fire was moving northwesterly into mountainous areas today and no communities or structures were threatened, authorities said.

This morning winds were mild and fire officials said that if those conditions continued, they hoped to be able to completely contain the blaze by early Friday.

The fire’s eastern flank, which had burned across Johnson and Elizabeth Lake roads Wednesday, was out by early today and 400 fresh firefighters were attacking the western flank, which was heading into a mountainous area west of Elizabeth Lake.

Authorities surveyed the burn area this morning and down-scaled the original estimate of more than 3,000 acres burned to about 2,250 acres.

In Orange County, firefighters appeared to have halted a 7,500-acre brush fire a half mile from Lake Elsinore’s shore this morning. The blaze, which destroyed at least six buildings, was reported 40% contained.