Fires Destroy Homes, Close Freeways

Pursued by hundreds of firefighters and an arsenal of water-dropping planes, a pair of fast-moving brush fires swept through northern Los Angeles County on Wednesday, blackening more than 800 acres, destroying three homes and closing two freeways.

The fires erupted within 25 minutes of each other, one roaring through dry, brush-covered ridgelines in Agua Dulce as the other burned along the Golden State Freeway north of Castaic. By nighttime, the Agua Dulce fire was 80% contained and the Castaic fire was 50% contained, officials said.

A third brush fire consumed an unpopulated area of about 4,000 acres at Santa Barbara County’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. No homes burned, but the small town of Casmalia was evacuated. In San Diego County, a fire that was intentionally set in the Cleveland National Forest had burned more than 300 acres by Wednesday night.

In many areas, firefighters worked in heat exceeding 100 degrees. The heat and power usage statewide prompted state officials to declare a stage two emergency, meaning electricity usage had reached 95% of capacity. Under stage-two alerts, utilities temporarily reduce power to users who have previously agreed to the curtailment. About 125,000 business and residential customers were affected, state officials said.

In Agua Dulce, neighbors who were evacuated from a blazing canyon along Shady Lane Road comforted each other, some peering anxiously at the smoky ridgelines near their homes, others dashing back to try to save them. At least three houses were lost in the blaze, which had consumed about 400 acres by Wednesday night, said Inspector Edward Osorio of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“My home is burning,” said Paula Campbell, crying as she stood at the end of her smoldering street. “My neighbor called me and said that my home is burning. I saw my husband drive back in there.”

Moments later, Campbell’s neighbor appeared, telling her that her husband, Gary, her two teenage sons, and an assortment of horses, dogs and cats were all fine.

A firefighter told Campbell, “The crews did everything they could.”

More than 350 firefighters struggled to contain the flames as winds gusted up to 40 mph and capriciously switched directions. The effort was complicated by the rough terrain and scattered homes the rescuers were trying to protect.

“Some of these homes are way back in the hills,” Osorio said. “These are private residences, private ranches. Some of the people don’t clear their brush.”

The California Highway Patrol closed the nearby Antelope Valley Freeway for about 90 minutes at rush hour, reopening it about 7:20 p.m.

The American Red Cross designated the High Desert Middle School an evacuation center. But the school took in just two people, who were soon picked up by friends. The main concern of many residents, said a Red Cross official, was finding a safe place for displaced animals in the rural area.

“Other families have offered to take livestock that have been displaced by the fire,” said a Red Cross spokesman. “We’ve seen more offers to house livestock than humans.”

Authorities were not sure what sparked the fire, which began about 2 p.m.

But they believe the Castaic fire, which began half an hour earlier, was started by a burning truck on the northbound shoulder of the Golden State Freeway. By nighttime, it had scorched more than 425 acres, Osorio said.

Firefighters from Ventura and Los Angeles counties, Los Angeles city and the U.S. Forest Service fought the twin blazes with 15 planes and choppers.

No homes were damaged in Castaic. But the smoke and flames tangled traffic for miles, as the CHP closed the northbound freeway for nearly three hours.

In San Diego, the fire that began about 12:20 p.m. about 20 miles east of downtown San Diego was battled by at least 450 firefighters, along with four helicopters and six air tankers. A juvenile honor labor camp was evacuated, but no injuries or damage were reported.

Firefighters today face continued heat, as temperatures are expected to drop only slightly.

Pasadena, which reported a high of 107 degrees Wednesday, was the hottest spot in Los Angeles County, said Clint Simpson of the National Weather Service.

The high at Los Angeles International Airport was 86, downtown 91, Woodland Hills 100, Santa Ana 90, San Bernardino 105 and Van Nuys 95.

As ashes floated through the hot, smoky air in Agua Dulce, 18-year-old Nate Howard said his mother and 12-year-old sister had time to grab only a few photographs, some clothes and their cat before fleeing their Shady Lane Road home. By day’s end, their house was gone.

“There were flames. Lots of flames, lots of smoke,” Howard said as ashes floated through the hazy air. “And that was about it.”