Firefighters contain blaze in Griffith Park
A brush fire broke out late Tuesday afternoon in steep terrain just west of the observatory in Griffith Park -- evoking memories of May’s devastating blaze just a half-mile away -- but Los Angeles firefighters subdued the flames in about 90 minutes, leaving only 5 acres charred.
No homes were threatened, and no injuries were reported.
Still, there was an element of drama: Two inexperienced hikers, described as women 35 to 40 years old, found themselves at the base of the park’s western canyon, not far from where the fire began, and couldn’t scale the canyon wall to flee. City firefighters rappelled into the canyon and, with their ropes, pulled the women 400 feet to safety before any flames drew close.
Terrance Manning, an assistant chief with the Los Angeles Fire Department, expressed relief that the fire was contained to 5 acres, particularly after the epic May blaze that scorched 800 acres of Griffith Park.
“With the weather conditions and dry brush we have this year, there is no small brush fire. Everything has potential. The biggest fires start small at some time,” he said.
The 100 city firefighters dispatched to the scene, aided by water-dropping helicopters that arrived soon after the fire was reported around 4:15 p.m., endured triple-digit temperatures, relatively low humidity and steep terrain. The breezes weren’t a factor Tuesday, unlike during the May fire in the park, which was propelled by swift winds.
“We’re very fortunate we didn’t have a windy day,” Manning said.
The fire prompted the closing of Griffith Observatory, which was filled with hundreds of visitors. Some hurried into shuttle buses to be hustled away, while other visitors stayed to take pictures of the fire with their cell phones and cameras.
“It was not too big. It was not much going on,” said Mitto Barriga, a 38-year-old chef who was at the observatory with his uncle when staffers told visitors about the fire and urged them to evacuate.
The fire was south of the city’s iconic Hollywood sign and west of the observatory. May’s fire burned areas north and east of the observatory.
The May fire, the park’s worst in at least three decades, also raced toward hillside homes in Los Feliz, prompting a hasty evacuation. Although far smaller, Tuesday’s fire renewed worries about fire hazards in what has been the area’s driest year on record.
Manning said authorities have “no reason to believe” that the origin of Tuesday’s fire was suspicious. He said likely possibilities were an accidentally discarded cigarette or an illegal campfire. The two women hikers, who were interviewed by fire investigators, are not suspected of being responsible for the fire.
“They were interviewed to see, possibly, if they’d observed anyone or anything. But they were a good quarter-mile from the point of origin,” Manning said.
The women were released after being given brief physical examinations and fluids to drink.
City Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district includes the park and who hikes in the area regularly, agreed with Manning’s assessment. “I’m guessing somebody went up there and did something they shouldn’t do, like have a cigarette,” he said. LaBonge said he would talk with city parks officials about putting more rangers on duty hiking the trails to spot fires before they spread.
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stuart.silverstein@latimes.com
Times staff writer James Ricci also contributed to this story.
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