LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Three wildfires were burning hundreds of acres across Los Angeles County Friday afternoon, closing lanes on the Foothill (210) Freeway and prompting evacuations.
La Tuna Fire
A brush fire broke out along the Foothill (210) Freeway in Tujunga on Friday, destroying about 29 acres of vegetation.
subscribe
Firefighters responded to the blaze burning on the east side of the highway near La Tuna Canyon Road at about 4:10 p.m., and Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lindsay Lantz said the fire was “light to moderate” in brush and that flames were burning at a moderate rate.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters joined Los Angeles County Fire Department crews to battle the blaze from the air and the ground.
It’s unclear what prompted the brushing.
Traffic was extremely slow on the eastbound side of the highway as firefighters closed two lanes to accommodate fire equipment.
There were no reports of injuries or damage to properties.
Fork Fire
A wildfire broke out in Angeles National Forest above Glendora on Friday, spewing heavy smoke and spreading quickly near popular campgrounds and hiking trails.
The Fork Fire was reported in the area of Glendora Mountain and East Fork roads around 3:30 p.m. and was initially estimated at 5 to 10 acres. By 4 p.m., it was reported at 75 acres, more ground and air resources were dispatched to the scene and a second alarm was issued.
By 5 p.m., reports from the scene indicated the fire had grown to an estimated 249 acres.
Firefighters on scene initially requested medical teams to treat a young child for burns and suspected smoke inhalation, but later reported no patients at the scene. No other details were immediately available. Firefighters also requested air support to search for a group of boys who had been at the scene before the fire began.
The fire was near the Camp Williams Resort campground, raising concerns for bystanders and prompting increased efforts to secure properties in the area. The flames also spread to the entrance to the popular “Bridge to Nowhere” trail.
Firefighters and police were evacuating people from the area.
East Fork Road was closed from Highway 39 to Glendale Mountain Road.
The National Weather Service reported temperatures near the fire were in the mid-80s Fahrenheit and winds were relatively light, with gusts of up to 12 mph.
Deer Fire
A brush fire raged through about 300 acres of brush in Palmdale on Friday amid intense heat and gusty winds, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to properties.
The Deer Fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. in the area of North 35th Street and Avenue Q, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The fire was initially reported to be about 10 acres in size, but the flames quickly spread through the brush and grew to about 100 acres by 3 p.m. Less than an hour later, the fire was estimated to be 300 acres in size.
The fire was upgraded to a second alarm as the scene commander requested additional resources to the scene.
Firefighters on the scene reported shortly before 4 p.m. that efforts to slow the blaze were progressing well. According to a map updated late Friday afternoon, the fire has grown to 272 acres.
The National Weather Service reported that temperatures in Palmdale were approximately 102 degrees Fahrenheit at the time the fire started, and wind speeds near the fire reached 24 mph, with gusts of up to 36 mph.
Paige Austin of City News Service, Patch Staff contributed to this report.