40-Acre Fire Closes Section of Highway
A brush fire burned about 40 acres east of the Golden State Freeway on Saturday afternoon, forcing the partial closure of the California 126 because of heavy smoke.
At least 200 firefighters and four water-dropping helicopters battled the fire, which began about 1:45 p.m., said Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Jack Ricci.
The fire, driven up a hillside by a slight wind, spread northeast before it was contained, about an hour and a half after it started.
No one was injured and no structures were damaged, firefighters said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Fire Department dispatch supervisor Tim Dixon. “We do not suspect arson at this time,” he said.
Smoke from the fire billowed over the eastbound side of the California 126, California Highway Patrol Officer Matthew Hill said.
Authorities closed a 500-foot stretch of the road east of the Golden State Freeway until the smoke cleared about 4 p.m., Hill said.
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