Car crash starts blaze
A brush fire near Hacienda Heights -- sparked by a high-powered, limited-edition car that ran off the road and tumbled 100 feet -- charred 70 acres of rugged terrain Tuesday and prompted the temporary evacuation of about a dozen homes, authorities said.
The fire, which erupted shortly before 1 p.m., forced the evacuation of homes scattered over three streets in the Turnbull Canyon area. But by 8 p.m., residents were allowed to return home. No structures were damaged.
Authorities said the fire was ignited by a spark from a 2008 Ford Shelby that veered off the pavement, overturned and fell down a hillside into a gully while traveling on an isolated stretch of Turnbull Canyon Road.
Joe Zizi, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, identified the Mustang’s driver as Mark Charles Canerdy, 53, of Whittier. Zizi said that officers are continuing to investigate the cause of the single-car accident, but added that Canerdy acknowledged he was driving at “a high rate of speed” on the winding road.
Canerdy was evaluated by officers and determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Zizi said. He was not arrested. Authorities said Canerdy pulled himself from the car but apparently suffered some injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
A firefighter who suffered heat exhaustion while battling the fire was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
In all, officials said, 300 firefighters, assisted by five water-dropping helicopters, were on the scene.
Fire crews were expected to stay in the area through the night to put out remaining embers.
During the afternoon, plumes of smoke were visible from miles away.
Frank Garrido, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said firefighters faced steep terrain and “medium to heavy fuels -- brush over 6 feet high.”
Laurie Santellano, one of the temporarily evacuated homeowners, said she and her family began packing their cars with important records, photos, pets, jewelry and other items after 1:30 p.m. when a friend called with the news that a fire was raging nearby.
Later, a sheriff’s deputy told them it was time to leave, and they fled with their possessions.
“Unfortunately, where we live, it’s bound to happen because of the brush, trees and woodsy area. It’s really dry now,” Santellano said.
Separately, a brush fire was burning Tuesday night in the San Bernardino National Forest, about seven miles northeast of Idyllwild in the Snow Creek area of Riverside County.
As of 9 p.m., the fire had burned about 80 acres and destroyed six abandoned cabins. Officials said they could provide no estimate of how much of the fire was contained.
The cause has not been determined, but officials suspect it was touched off by lightning.
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stuart.silverstein@latimes.com
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