Fast-Moving Brush Fire Hits La Canada and Glendale

A fast-moving brush fire, fueled by dry vegetation and Santa Ana winds, burned out of control early today in La Canada Flintridge and Glendale, burning 800 acres and threatening numerous expensive hillside homes.

By midnight, a huge wall of fire had destroyed several structures. Residents of about 25 homes on Forest Hill Drive in La Canada were evacuated as county firefighters tried to control the blaze with repeated water drops.

The fire broke out about 9:45 p.m. near Starland and Sugar Loaf drives in La Canada Flintridge. It quickly spread west to Glendale, leaping close to power lines. Later, the blaze jumped the Glendale Freeway.

It was a chaotic scene along the freeway as drivers tried to flee the flames. Some motorists trapped by the closures drove the wrong way in the freeway lanes to get out of the area as quickly as possible as flames leaped across the roadway.

Hundreds of firefighters from Los Angeles County, Glendale and a few other agencies desperately battled the stubborn blaze. The flames came within 30 feet of some homes, said Fire Capt. Steve Valenzuela. But initial reports indicated that no homes had burned. The structures that were destroyed reportedly included a police firing range.

Fire officials called for two water-dropping helicopters, which are usually not used at night, said Fire Capt. Jim Crawford.

“It’s very serious,” he said, because of the poor visibility as a result of the smoke and the darkness.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, said Betty Parker, a county fire dispatcher.

Meanwhile, the California Highway Patrol closed smoke-shrouded freeways near the blaze, including the Glendale Freeway and sections of the Ventura and Foothill freeways.

Sustained winds of up to 30 mph were fanning the flames and blowing embers south into Los Angeles, 10 miles away. In Hollywood, embers showered down on people outside Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

There were no estimates of when the fire would be contained, fire officials said, and they are not viewing it as a suspicious blaze.

Gilbert Holguin, 23, and his girlfriend Michelle Carver, 20, were driving north on the Glendale Freeway about 11 p.m. when they saw flames coming toward their car.

“It came parallel down the freeway. It was lighting people’s cars on fire,” said Holguin. “We panicked. We turned around. There was no CHP, no nothing.”

The Montrose Search and Rescue Team, part of the Sheriff’s Department, was standing by in case more evacuations were ordered. Many residents voluntarily began to pack their belongings in anticipation of flight, and an evacuation center was set up at La Canada High School.

On Santa Barbara Avenue in north Glendale, dozens of people lined the street late Tuesday night, trying to decide whether to evacuate.

“My wife’s packing the car right now--just in case,” said Greg Rapozo, whose home is about half a mile from the fire. “The flames are real big--way up in the sky. It’s lighted up the whole neighborhood and I can even feel some of the heat.”

Neighbor Jeff Isler said everyone on the street is at a “stage of preparedness. The whole neighborhood is out on the street,” Isler said. “We see huge flames. . . . --People are trying to decide whether to pack or not.”

Bob Samaniego, 53, was one of many residents of the Emerald Isle area of Glendale who was standing out front watching for flames.

“I was worried. But I really didn’t think it was going to jump over the ridge. Fortunately, the winds changed.”

Meanwhile, another brush fire scorched more than 100 acres in the hills above Santa Paula on Tuesday night, forcing dozens of residents to flee their homes and causing the closure of California 150, which temporarily halted all travel between Ojai and Santa Paula.

Times staff writers Annette Kondo and Andrew Blankstein contributed to this story.