Santa Ana Wind-Driven Creek Fire Rages On, 150,000 Evacuate

SYLMAR, CA – A brush fire that broke out in the Kagel Canyon area above Sylmar, charred more than 12,600 acres, destroyed about 30 homes and prompted the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from their homes raged on for a second day Wednesday even though air crews made overnight water drops in a bid to douse the flames. Crews were bracing for violent gusts forecast to return Wednesday evening.

No fatalities were reported but three firefighters were injured Tuesday in their battle against the Creek Fire, which was 5 percent contained Wednesday night.

The blaze, which broke out at 3:42 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Gold Creek and Little Tujunga roads in the Kagel Canyon area, was estimated at 12,605 acres by late afternoon Wednesday. More than 1,600 firefighters and other personnel were deployed against the fire, which was 5 percent contained. Three firefighters were injured Tuesday, and were hospitalized in stable condition.

At least 30 homes were destroyed, about 20 of them in the Little Tujunga, Kagel Canyon and Lopez Canyon areas. The other 10 homes were within Los Angeles city limits, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Virginia Padilla, whose family owns a ranch in Sylmar, told reporters the fire killed at least 30 of the ranch's horses. Padilla said she and her family were able to get out of her home just in time but were not able to take their horses with them as they had to evacuate immediately when they were awakened Tuesday morning.

Evacuation orders first issued Tuesday were affecting about 110,000 households, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said evacuated residents would not be allowed to return home for another night.

"We realize what an inconvenience this is and how traumatic this is to so many people, but we've watched fires in Northern California, we've seen through experience it's much better to err on the side of safety," Garcetti said at a Wednesday afternoon news briefing.

"And while the wind is not as strong at this moment as we have had in some of the briefings before and certainly yesterday, it is an unpredictable wind and we do expect extreme wind starting at 10 o'clock today."

All Los Angeles Unified School District schools in the San Fernando Valley and some on the west side of Los Angeles -- a total of 265 district schools and affiliated charter schools -- will be closed on Thursday and Friday, district officials said. A full list of closed schools was available at lausd.net.

All Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District campuses will also remain closed Thursday.

An estimated 2,500 structures were threatened by the Creek Fire at one point, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which was fighting the blaze in a unified command with the Los Angeles city and county fire departments.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas warned that the battle was likely to continue until at least Friday.

While there was a lull in the winds Wednesday, allowing crews to work on containment lines around the various fires, a "significant" wind event is expected Wednesday night and into Thursday, with hurricane-force winds possible, Terrazas said.

The LAFD's "brush burning index" that rates the fire danger was at 296 -- "the highest number I've ever seen in my career," according to Terrazas. He said the usual threshold for extreme fire conditions is 165.

"Tonight may be the worst night of all," Terrazas said.

The LAPD was placed on a citywide tactical alert, which allows commanders maximum flexibility in deploying resources.

As the fire burned on Tuesday, the Foothill (210) Freeway was closed in both directions between the Golden State (5) Freeway and the Glendale (2) Freeway, but the freeway had been reopened by Wednesday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

As the fire expanded and jumped south of the Foothill Freeway on Tuesday, so did the mandatory evacuation area. Evacuations were initially ordered in the area north of the Foothill Freeway from Glenoaks Boulevard on the west to the border with La Crescenta on the east.

But by early Tuesday afternoon, the eastern boundary of the evacuation area had been expanded to the Haynes Canyon area. And an area south of the Foothill Freeway was ordered evacuated in Shadow Hills between Sunland Boulevard to the south, Wentworth Street to the north and Tuxford Street to the west, officials said.

A dozen evacuation centers were opened throughout the San Fernando Valley, and all were accepting evacuees, including those with pets.

The fire also forced a mass evacuation of large animals, primarily horses but also others such as alpacas.

Many of the animals were being housed at Pierce College and the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, which were at capacity Wednesday afternoon and not accepting additional animals.

Horses and other large animals can be brought to the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center at 11127 Orcas Ave. in Sylmar and the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds at 2551 W. Avenue H, in Lancaster.

Dogs, cats and small pets can be brought to these locations:

• Sylmar Recreation Center, 13109 Borden Avenue, in Sylmar;
• West Valley Animal Shelter, 20655 Plummer St., Los Angeles; and
• East Valley Animal Shelter, 14409 Vanowen St., Los Angeles.

Residents were urged to heed evacuation orders and to prepare well in advance of commands to leave home.

"Pack a go bag," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

McDonnell suggested residents take photo IDs, medications, food and water -- enough for a couple of days -- and important documents like birth certificates, passports and licenses.

He said 70 mph winds were forecast for Wednesday night.

"Please take this serious," McDonnell said. "Pack a bag, be ready to go, have your cell phone charged and please, heed the warning when we ask you to leave an area."

Evacuation centers were opened at:

• Sylmar Recreation Center, 13109 Borden Ave.;
• Branford Recreation Center, 13306 Branford St., Arleta;
• Sun Valley Recreation Center, 8133 Vineland Ave.;
• Granada Hills Recreation Center, 16730 Chatsworth St.;
• Stonehurst Recreation Center, 9901 Dronfield Ave., Sun Valley;
• Valley Plaza Recreation Center, 12240 Archwood St., North Hollywood;
• North Hollywood Recreation Center, 11430 Chandler Blvd.;
• Chatsworth South Recreation Center, 22360 Devonshire St.;
• Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks;
• Mason Recreation Center, 10500 Mason Ave., Chatsworth;
• Woodland Hills Recreation Center, 5858 Shoup Ave.;
• Delano Recreation Center, 15100 Erwin St., Van Nuys;
• Balboa Recreation Center, 17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino;
• Victory Vineland Recreation Center, 11117 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood;

• Yosemite Recreation Center, 1840 Yosemite Drive, Eagle Rock;
• Glassell Park Recreation Area, 3650 Verdugo Road; and
• Chevy Chase Recreation Center, 4165 Chevy Chase Drive, Atwater Village.
• All of the centers were accepting evacuees and pets.

LAUSD officials said the following district campuses will be closed Wednesday:

• The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District closed all of its schools for the day.
• Apperson Street Elementary School
• Brainard Elementary School
• Broadous Elementary School and Early Education Center
• Cesar Chavez Learning Academy
• Community Elementary Magnet Charter School
• Coughlin Elementary School
• Dyer Elementary School
• El Dorado Elementary School
• Gridley Elementary
• Haddon Elementary School/Haddon Early Education Center
• Harding Elementary School
• Herrick Elementary School
• Hubbard Elementary School
• Kenter Canyon Elementary School
• Maclay Middle School
• Morningside Elementary School
• Mount Gleason Middle School
• Mount Lukens Continuation High
• Mountain View Elementary School
• Olive Vista Middle School
• O'Melveny Elementary School
• Osceola Elementary School
• Pacoima Elementary School
• Pinewood Avenue Elementary School
• Pinewood Avenue Early Education Center
• Plainview Academic Charter Academy
• Roscomare Road Elementary
• San Fernando Elementary School
• San Fernando Elementary School
• San Fernando Middle School
• Sharp Elementary School
• Stonehurst Avenue Elementary School
• Sun Valley Middle School
• Sun Valley High School
• Sunland Elementary School
• Sylmar Elementary School
• Sylmar Leadership Academy
• Sylmar High School/Sylmar Biotech
• Telfair Elementary School
• Vaughn Early Education Center
• Vena Elementary School
• Verdugo Hills Senior High School
• Vinedale Elementary School
• Vista Del Valle Elementary School

District officials said they also had been informed of the following charter school closures Wednesday, but advised parents and guardians to check with the school's charter operator for the most current information:

• Alliance Marine-Innovation & Technology 6-12 Complex
• Bert Corona Charter School
• Bert Corona Charter High School
• Discovery Charter Preparatory School
• Fenton Avenue Charter School
• Fenton Primary Center
• Montague Charter Academy
• N.E.W. Academy Canoga Park
• Pacoima Charter School
• PUC Lakeview Charter Academy
• PUC Community Charter Elementary School
• PUC Community Charter Middle School
• PUC Community Charter Early College High School
• PUC Inspire Charter Academy
• PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy
• PUC Lakeview Charter High School
• PUC Triumph Charter Academy
• PUC Triumph Charter High School
• Valor Academy Elementary School
• Valor Academy Middle School
• Valor Academy High School

Road closures, according to LAPD Foothill:

• Arroyo Street north of 210 Freeway under mandatory evacuation
• Little Tujunga Canyon Road between Foothill Boulevard and Placerita Canyon/Sand Canyon Roads
• Kagel Canyon Road
• Lopez Canyon Road
• Foothill Boulevard/ Osborne Street, ABC7 reported
• Osborne Street off-ramp and Paxton Street off-ramp from the westbound 210 Freeway, ABC7 reported
• Sunland Boulevard off-ramp from the eastbound 210 Freeway, according to ABC7

THIS IS A DEVELOPING NEWS STORY; PLEASE REFRESH THE PAGE FOR UPDATES

City News Service and Patch Staffer Emily Holland contributed to this story/Photo: A Los Angeles County firefighter puts water on a burning car during the Creek Fire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)