Evacuations Remain In Place As Battle Continues Against Lake Fire
NEAR LAKE HUGHES (CBSLA) – Hundreds of firefighters Wednesday continued to work around the clock to increase containment lines around the stubborn Lake Fire which broke out a week ago near Lake Hughes in the Angeles National Forest, between Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
The Lake Fire has covered 26,213 acres and containment has been revised to 36% down from 38% as of 8:48 p.m. Wednesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The blaze has destroyed at least 12 structures and 21 outbuildings, and also damaged three others. 4,570 buildings remain threatened and about 100 homes remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
The just over 1,900 personnel assigned to the blaze continue to contend with the worst triple-digit heat wave the region has seen in decades. The fire is burning in rough, steep terrain and dense vegetation, some areas of which have not seen fire activity in a century.
Firefighters are also dealing with a long-range spotting, in which the blaze carries sparks and embers outside the fire's perimeter, starting new fires.
"The west flank in the area of Sawmill Mountain, Burnt Peak and Little Burnt Peak is presenting the most challenging fire behavior," USFS reported Wednesday.
The blaze was reported just after 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 in the area of Lake Hughes and Pine Canyon roads and quickly exploded amid swirling winds and high temperatures. The cause is unknown. Full containment is not expected until at least Sept. 2.
The following areas remain under mandatory evacuation:
- Lake Hughes Road West of Pine Canyon and North of Dry Gulch Rd.
- East of Ridge Route Road
- West of Lake Hughes Road and Fire Station 78
- North of Pine Canyon and Lake Hughes Road
- South of SR-138
Meanwhile, crews continued to make progress on the Holser Fire which broke out Monday near Lake Piru in Ventura County. The fire has burned over 3,000 acres and is 45% contained. No structures have been destroyed.
The arson-sparked Ranch 2 Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest above Azusa has grown to 4,300 acres and was 19% contained. A homeless man has been arrested in that fire, which threatened the Mountain Cove community. However, crews were able to protect homes, none of which were damaged.
No mandatory evacuations are in place for the Holser or Ranch 2 Fire.
