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Well-Planned Response To Montebello Brush Fire Keeps Blaze At Bay

MONTEBELLO (CBSLA)  --  A small but stubborn brush fire was reported around 11:30 a.m. in Montebello Saturday.

CBS3's Laurie Perez reported that a well-planned and coordinated effort made quick work of the fire that scorched only about ten acres.

The blaze started near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard.

LA County Fire was on the scene  almost immediately. They used a few choppers to attack the fire from above and nearly 200 firefighters on the ground.

CBS2's Mount Wilson camera captured the billowing smoke.

A spokesperson said fighting the fire still presented a challenge despite the fact it's a largely uninhabited area.

"The reason we have so many people here, is If you see behind us you do see some dense brush we did have some issues with that there re some areas where there was vegetation that's up to 10 to 15 feet high," said LACFD Fire Inspector Gustavo Medina.

Chopper Drops Water
(credit: CBS)

Across town, many residents posted pictures of the smoke on social media -- though relatively far away, still too close for comfort.

As winds in the area picked up, so did the response from LA County.

"Then during the firefight there was a wind shift which allowed the fire to spot just east of us right here on Rosemead Boulevard so we do have crews on the other side of Rosemead that are hitting hot spots," said Medina.

Crews kept the upper hand throughout the firefight.

There were no evacuations, no damage to property and no injuries reported.

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