Brush Fire Scorches 10 Acres Near Chatsworth

On Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 3:16 PM, 20 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 2 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Helicopters, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, under the direction of Assistant Chief Patrick Butler, along with Ventura County Fire Department all assisted the Los Angeles County Fire Department (Incident Commander) and responded to a Major Emergency Brush Fire just north of the West-Bound 118 Freeway crossing Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth.

Firefighters arrived to find five acres of light to medium brush burning uphill. With the assistance of California Highway Patrol Officers cordoning off #2, #3 & #4 lanes of the freeway, firefighters swiftly anchored the flames as fire spread northward toward homes along Poema Place and Kanaina Court.

A well coordinated air and ground assault from the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Ventura County Fire Department kept the fire from burning out of control, but not before the fire had charred over 10 acres of grass and brush.

The swift arrival of water-dropping helicopters, combined with nearby resident's compliance with strict brush clearance regulations, prevented any homes from being damaged.

Pursuant of protocol and due to the location of the fire, official public and media information regarding this wildfire, including the actions of the assigned 100 LAFD firefighters, will be provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which maintains daily jurisdictional authority of the area where the fire took place.

(photos)

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department