Sharp fire: Blaze now 40% contained, two firefighters hurt
The Sharp fire in Angeles National Forest has grown to 150 acres, but firefighters, aided now by five water-dropping helicopters, have been able to increase containment to 40%.
Two firefighters, meanwhile, were treated at a local hospital after one suffered a back injury and the other a heat-related ailment, said Ryan Carey, an information specialist for Angeles National Forest. The extent of their injuries could not immediately be determined.
As of Saturday morning, 576 fire personnel were assigned to fight the blaze as it continued to move south away from the town of Wrightwood, where mandatory evacuation orders remained in place, Carey said.
The fire was first reported about 12:15 p.m. Thursday, but has not exploded in size on the scale of other wildfires in the region due in part to relatively calm winds and the timber-based fuels, which tend not to ignite as rapidly as shrubs and chaparral.
Carey said officials planned to issue an update after 10 a.m. on the mandatory evacuation zones, which affect areas around Mojave Scenic and East Canyon drives south from Lone Pine Canyon Road to Buckthorn, Slippery Elm and Mahogany roads.
In the meantime, a Red Cross evacuation center has been set up at Serrano High School, 9292 Sheep Creek Road, in Phelan.
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