405 Freeway Reopens As Firefighters Knock Down Sherman Oaks Blaze

SHERMAN OAKS, CA – Firefighters have finally gotten the upper hand on a stubborn brush fire that left three people injured and briefly shut down the 405 Freeway.

The blaze started near 15350 Burbank Blvd. in the Sepulveda Basin just before 1 p.m., according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange.

City firefighters, with an assist from L.A. County Fire Department, had prevailed over the 20-acre blaze in the Sherman Oaks area at the Sepulveda Basin Sunday evening.

The department sent more than 100 firefighters to the scene, Prange said.

With help from L.A. County hand crews, LAFD volunteers and a sky crane, firefighters finally contained the blaze protecting nearby Japanese gardens and a water reclamation plant.

Major streets also served as fire breaks helping to contain the fire, which was fully contained after an estimated three hours, 17 minutes, he said.

The fire left two firefighters and a civilian with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

The California Highway Patrol declared a SigAlert and temporarily shut down lanes on the southbound 405 (San Diego) Freeway near Burbank Boulevard.

Those closures were lifted around 4:45 p.m., but the Burbank Boulevard off-ramps remained closed.

All southbound 405 Fwy traffic being diverted off to Victory Blvd due to fire in Sepulveda Basin. Northbound 405 Fwy traffic is about to be closed/diverted off at the 101 Fwy. AVOID THE AREA. pic.twitter.com/jc0ypqlI6r

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City News Service contributed to this report.