Brush fire spreads into Glendale, forcing evacuations
A brush fire that erupted in Eagle Rock on Sunday afternoon spread into Glendale, clogging freeways, threatening homes and sending up a large plume of smoke that could be seen across the Los Angeles Basin.
Evacuations were ordered along East Glenoaks Boulevard from Mount Carmel Drive to Bywood Drive in Glendale, according to authorities. Officials urged people to avoid the area.
The 2 Freeway northbound at the 134 Freeway remained closed as of Monday morning due to the aftermath of the fire, according to KTLA.
An evacuation center was set up at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. Evacuation orders were lifted later Sunday night.
The fire was first reported around 4 p.m. and is thought to have started in the 2900 block of West Colorado Boulevard, near the interchange of the 2 and 134 freeways, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“The fire has spotted to the north side of 134 Freeway and is slowly backing towards homes,” the department tweeted at 4:45 p.m. Traffic jams were reported on surface streets throughout the area, including Colorado Boulevard, as portions of both nearby freeways were closed.
The 134 Freeway was shut down from Figueroa Street to Glendale Boulevard, and the 2 Freeway was closed from Fountain Avenue to the 5, according to the California Highway Patrol.
There were no reports of injuries, the fire department said.
Fire officials pounded the blaze with helicopter water drops in an effort to save homes in the Glendale area, which proved to be successful.
The fire was fueled by hot temperatures, but there were no Santa Ana wind conditions.