Crews Battle 8 Blazes in Santa Clarita Valley

A fire blackened 50 acres of brush next to the Golden State Freeway south of Newhall Wednesday, and at least seven smaller fires erupted at the same time in the Santa Clarita Valley, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

None of the blazes, which all started about 5:30 p.m., caused injuries or any damage to structures, officials said. The smaller fires each burned less than an acre of grass and were quickly put out, Firefighter Joe Almazan said.

The causes of the fires had not been determined Wednesday evening, but officials said they appeared to have been of suspicious origin.

The largest fire started east of the Golden State Freeway and south of the Calgrove Boulevard off-ramp. It raced up a hillside before firefighters, assisted by two water-dropping helicopters, stopped its progress. It came within half a mile of expensive houses in the Wildwood Canyon neighborhood south of Newhall and briefly threatened a mobile home park on The Old Road, Battalion Chief Larry Rohrer said. The fire was brought under control about an hour after it started.

Favorable temperatures and wind conditions prevented the fire from spreading to residential areas, Rohrer said. The other fires started in the Bouquet Canyon area of Saugus and in parts of Canyon Country, Almazan said.