La Tuna Fire: Firefighters Reach 80% Containment

MONTROSE, CA – Nearly 7,200 acres have been scorched since the La Tuna Fire ignited Friday, and crews continued their efforts to fully contain the flames Wednesday. By Tuesday night, firefighters achieved 80 percent containment which continued through Wednesday afternoon as 211 firefighters remained on the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

"We're not out of the woods yet," LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said.

Late Tuesday night, firefighters quickly extinguished a quarter-acre "spot fire" that flared up in the Wildwood Canyon area of Burbank, but the flames did not threaten homes, the LAFD reported. 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 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.

As of Wednesday afternoon, only two "soft closures" of roadways remained in effect, where only residents with identification will be allowed into neighborhoods. They are in the areas of Foothill Boulevard and Kagel Canyon Street, and Foothill Boulevard and Osborne Street.

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 report; Image via Shutterstock