Lake fire in Angeles National Forest grows to 10,000 acres, forcing evacuations – Daily News

08/13/2020 USA


A wildfire exploded on Wednesday afternoon, August 12, in the Lake Hughes area and quickly grew to consume thousands of acres.

The Lake fire was reported at about 3:30 p.m. near North Lake Hughes Road and Pine Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest, according to Marvin Lim of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It spread rapidly and by 6.30pm had cleared 10,000 acres. Structures were threatened and at least one outbuilding was seen burning in aerial photos of the blaze, but no houses were damaged or destroyed by 9 a.m., Los Angeles replacement David Richardson said.

A mandatory evacuation board was in place Wednesday afternoon for Lake Hughes residents north of the fire, west of Pine Canyon Road and south of Dry Gulch Road, said Los Angeles County Fire Department inspector Sky Cornell. Those instructions were extended to about 8 p.m. to include homes east of Old Ridge Route, west of 3 Points Road, north of Pine Canyon Road and south of Highway 138. Deputies had helped people from at least 100 households to safety getting off at 9 a.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Ron Shaffer said.

A center for displaced persons was established at Highland High School, 39055 25th Street West, in Palmdale. People will be asked to stay in their cars to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Snacks, water, face masks and ‘gallon hand disinfectant’ will be available for evacuees in the campus parking lot, said Mimi Teller, Red Cross spokeswoman. The entrance to the center can be found on West Avenue P8.

MAP: Where the Lake Fire Burns in the Angeles National Forest

Small pets can be left with the Castaic Animal Care Center, 31044 Charlie Canyon Rd., The Lancaster Animal Care Center, 5210 W Avenue I, and the Palmdale Animal Care Center, 38550 Sierra Highway. Large animal evacuees can drop them off at Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 W Avenue H in Lancaster.

People will not be allowed to enter the evacuation zone Wednesday night with trailers to recover livestock, Shaffer said. He threatened to advise motorists to stay away from the area so firefighters can move freely at the fire line.

The fire created plumes of smoke that were seen from areas throughout LA County and as far away as Venice Beach. Winds did not contribute significantly to the growth of the fire, but it was surrounded by thick, dry brush that became its fuel as it traveled north and east, Cornell said. Communities such as Lancaster, Fairmont and Palmdale, which are in the direction of spreading the fire but on the other side of the forest, were not immediately threatened.

Firefighters from various agencies struggled with temperatures in the upper 1990s and low humidity as they worked to gain control of the fire, Cornell said. At least one firefighter was injured while working on the fire. Details about the severity of those injuries were not immediately released.

There were nine helicopters, six air tankers and more than 500 firefighters working to put out the fire, Richardson said. They will rely heavily on aircraft during the night hours and focus on protecting buildings. Teams expect to fight the fire for the next few days.

“That’s always our first priority, preserving homes,” Cornell said.

The last major fire to occur in the Lake Hughes area was the 2013 Powerhouse fire, Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said. Some areas that were burned on Wednesday have not been burned since 1968, and were abundant with dry vegetation that helped create the intense, fast-moving bladder.

The cause of the fire was unclear to investigators.

The blaze called for several road closures:

  • San Francisquito Canyon between Spunky Canyon and Staterbane,
  • Pine Canyon Road at 3 Point Road
  • 3 Punten Road at Highway 138
  • Old driveway at Highway 138
  • Lake Hughes Road by Ridge Route Road
  • Pine Canyon Road by Lake Hughes Road

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