250-Acre Fire Threatens Homes; Arson Suspected

Firefighters worked through the night Thursday to control a fire that charred more than 250 acres of brush near the Foothill Freeway and forced the evacuation of about 150 homes.

In the first local use of a new firefighting tool, ground crews sprayed a fire-retardant foam called Barricade Gel on about a dozen homes to protect them from the blaze, which officials believe was set by an arsonist.

The fire, which began about noon near the La Tuna Canyon Road offramp of the freeway, forced closure of the westbound lanes until about 8 p.m.

Although flames came precariously close to hillside homes worth more than $300,000, none were burned and no one was injured, in the fire, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. A small shed caught fire, but crews quickly extinguished the blaze.

Lucy Burger was folding laundry in her Tranquil Drive home when the bright sun shining through her window suddenly went dark.

“I looked out the window and the trees turned orange and a large plume of smoke covered the sun,” said Burger, 37. “I went outside and I could hear the flames roaring and felt the ashes on my face. It was big and coming toward my house fast.”

Residents of Tranquil Drive, Hillhaven Avenue and Reverie Road were forced to evacuate their homes, but were allowed to return by 3:30 p.m., said Steve Ruda, another Fire Department spokesman. Many took temporary refuge at homes of friends or local restaurants.

Hillhaven resident Rosa Bartecek warned some neighbors about the fire. Then she loaded up her three children, her sister’s three children and several pets into the family car and drove to McDonald’s.

“You don’t realize how much you care for your neighbors until something like this happens,” said Bartecek, 40. “This is a beautiful place to live, but sometimes you have to a pay a price like this.”

Ruda called this the area’s worst fire since the 1950s, when Los Angeles Firefighter Cat Low died while battling a blaze. An area fire station is named in his honor.

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More than 450 firefighters from Glendale, Pasadena, Ventura County, the U. S. Forest Service and Los Angeles city and county battled Thursday’s blaze late into the night. The fire was expected to be out by 7 a.m. today, Humphrey said.

Humphrey said arson is expected and urged possible witnesses to call investigators at (213) 485-6095.

Just one hour into the blaze, the wind shifted from north to northwest, making the fire more difficult to fight, Humphrey said. Mild gusts reaching up to 15 mph fanned the flames through much of the afternoon, but calmed by 6 p.m., he said. Power lines that tower over the area also slowed the five helicopters that dropped water onto the fire.

A California Department of Forestry water-dropping plane was called in to help battle the blaze and arrived about 3:30 p.m., Ruda said.

Humphrey said firefighters were assisted ahead of time by residents who had cleared much of the dry vegetation that grows in the area.

The Big Tujunga Volunteer Fire Department, started in 1985, was also on hand to help fight the fire with three water trucks.

“I got my water truck and I came right out,” said founder Bob Holbert, 45, of Tujunga.

Frank Estrada, a spokesman for the American Red Cross, said about 25 volunteers were on standby, ready to assist.

Although the fire came close to homes, it didn’t frighten Robert Donathan, who lives in the 9300 block of Reverie Road.

“Fires out here aren’t that common, so I don’t worry about them too much,” he said. “Living here is worth the risk.”

The fire backed up freeway traffic in both directions as westbound motorists were diverted off the freeway and eastbound motorists slowed to watch, California Highway Patrol Officer Richard Perez said.