4 Brush Fires in Santa Clarita Valley Keep Crews Busy

Four brush fires--three of which burned simultaneously--sent 225 firefighters hurrying across the Santa Clarita Valley on Wednesday, authorities said.

Three teen-age boys were detained on suspicion of arson in the first blaze, which burned about 1 1/2 acres of land above Saugus High School, said Lt. Barbara Persten of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s station in Santa Clarita. Authorities suspect the youths were playing with a lighter in the brush above the school when flames were seen at 12:30 p.m., Persten said.

About 50 county firefighters and jail inmate work crews battled that blaze in the 21900 block of Centurion Way for more than two hours before bringing it under control, said Fire Inspector Bob Brandelli. Two firefighting helicopters aided them, Brandelli said.

About 30 firefighters battled a half-acre brush fire in the 18900 block of Soledad Canyon Road about 1:45 p.m., Brandelli said. That fire was brought under control within an hour, he said.

Meanwhile, two fires erupted in the Angeles National Forest along the Golden State Freeway, causing lane closures at two sites, authorities said.

The first fire, which began about 2 p.m. just north of Castaic, burned five acres of brush in 50 minutes before firefighters contained it, Brandelli said. The second began shortly after 6 p.m. north of the earlier roadside fire, said Cheryl Parker, a county fire dispatch supervisor. That fire burned about 10 acres before it was contained, she said.

A U.S. Forest Service firefighter suffered second-degree burns to his face and was airlifted to the burn center at Sherman Oaks Hospital.