Mandatory evacuations were extended into neighborhoods in the canyons on the northwestern edge of Altadena, Glendale, Pasadena, La Crescenta and Big Tujunga Canyon, Forest Service spokesman Bruce Quintelier said.
A member of the Vista Grande Hot Shots helps to cut a fire line with hand tools in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.
The Vista Grande Hot Shots walk past a tree in a La Canada Flintridge neighborhood as they prepare to cut a fire line with hand tools in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.
In this photo taken from Monterey Park, Calif., smoke billows from a fire in the foothill above La Canada Filintridge Calif., filling the San Gabriel Valley. Wildfire threatened hundreds of homes in the foothill canyons near Los Angeles.
The Vista Grande Hot Shots run a fire hose to maintain a fire line with hand tools in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.
The Vista Grande Hot Shots prepare to cut a fire line with hand tools in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday,
A structure is shown engulfed in flames near Big Tujunga Road in La Canada Flintridge, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009. A growing wildfire sending massive billows of smoke into the sky north of Los Angeles nearly tripled in size Saturday, injuring three residents, knocking out power to homes and prompting evacuations in a number of mountain communities.
In this photo taken from Monterey Park, Calif., smoke billows from a fire in the foothill above La Canada Flintridge, Calif., filling the San Gabriel Valley. Wildfire threatened hundreds of homes in the foothill canyons near Los Angeles.
A DC-10 jet dumps chemical fire retardant in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009
The Vista Grande Hot Shots cut a fire line with hand tools in order to slow the advance of the Station Fire that is burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of La Canada Flintridge, 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009
The flames crept lower down the slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains despite winds blowing predominantly in the other direction, threatening more than 2,000 homes in the La Canada Flintridge area. Officials estimated that 1,000 homes had been evacuated.
The fire was the largest and most dangerous of several burning around southern and central California and in Yosemite National Park.
Flames knocked out power to at least 164 residences in La Canada Flintridge on Saturday, according to Southern California Edison. Repair crews were ordered to stay out of the area because of fire danger.
More than 31 square miles of dry forest was scorched by the fire. It was only 5 percent contained.
Air crews waged a fierce battle against the southeast corner of the fire, burning dangerously close to canyon homes. Spotter planes with tankers on their tails dove well below ridge lines to lay bright orange retardant then pulled up dramatically over neighborhoods, and giant sky crane helicopters swooped in to unleash showers on the biggest flareups.
A major goal was to keep the fire from spreading up Mount Wilson, where many of the region's broadcast and communications antennas and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory are located, officials said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday in Los Angeles and Monterey counties.
================
-----------------------
0 comments:
Post a Comment