La Tuna Fire: Firefighters Reach 90% Containment

MONROVIA, CA – The La Tuna Fire was 90 percent contained Thursday, and fire crews are working to fully extinguish the flames. The fire has scorched nearly 7,200 acres since igniting on Friday. A spot fire on Wednesday night was quickly extinguished by firefighters before the flames could threaten a nearby home, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said at a mid-morning briefing.

The blaze broke out Friday afternoon and forced the full shutdown of the Foothill (210) Freeway for two days. Cooler temperatures and weekend rain coupled with lighter winds have aided in the firefighting effort. The fire has scorched 7,194 acres of brush around the Verdugo Mountains.

All mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders in Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank were lifted as of Sunday night, which is also when the Foothill (210) Freeway was re-opened.

The fire, which at one point threatened about 1,400 homes, has destroyed five homes and five outbuildings.

The cause of the blaze, described by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti over the weekend as the biggest in the history of the city in terms of acreage, remains under investigation, but officials said arson is not suspected.

Ten injuries have been reported, including six firefighters and one civilian with "heat-related illness," one firefighter with minor burns, one firefighter who suffered an allergic reaction, and one civilian who suffered an eye injury. All have been treated and released, officials said.

On Sunday, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state emergency in Los Angeles County due to the fire. Los Angeles declared a local emergency Saturday.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a proclamation of local emergency, which was to be forwarded to Brown's office to access state and federal assistance.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock