Artillery shells blamed in wildfire
May 27, 1961: A wind-whipped brush fire scorched more than 300 acres in Angeles National Forest “as 150 men and seven planes fought a steadily improving battle for control,” The Times reported.
The effort was hampered by rugged terrain and winds up to 50 mph. “The fire was believed to have been caused by exploding artillery shells,” the newspaper said.
“Forest Service investigators said two men and a woman admitted firing a war surplus 20-mm cannon in the area, but they were not held since ‘there is apparently no law against it,’ ” the newspaper said. The fire was in a remote canyon, and no one was injured.
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