Glendale fire: Massive aerial attack making headway on fire
A massive aerial attack by water-dropping helicopters appeared to be effectively keeping a brush fire from encroaching on homes in Glendale.
Officials have ordered evacuations in sections of Glenoaks and Chevy Chase canyons, officials said.
Helicopters were dousing the ridgeline near Chevy Chase canyon with water, hitting hot spots. Firefighting crews are also on the scene, protecting structures. The hills above Glendale were covered in white smoke but with far fewer flames than a short while ago.
The fire began at 2:29 p.m., north of the 134 Freeway and east of the 2 Freeway. The main body of the fire was burning up Chevy Chase Canyon along a ridge, along the 2100 block of Chevy Chase Drive and Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. Officials were announcing evacuations through the reverse-911 system.
The 2 Freeway between the 134 Freeway and the 210 Freeway is closed in both directions, CHP officials said. Motorists were stuck on the closed roadway.
“Right now, they’re trapped,” CHP Officer Ming Hsu said. “We can’t divert them off. There’s only realistically one offramp before 134 where the fire’s at. It’s been shut down so [firefighters] can get into the mountains.”
Glenoaks Elementary School at 2015 E. Glenoaks Blvd. was also evacuated, and Glendale Community College closed the campus and canceled classes for the remainder of the evening because of the fire.
Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said it was too early to say how big the fire was but that it was “spotting,” creating new flare-ups.
An evacuation center was set up at the Adult Recreation Center on 201 East Colorado St. The Pasadena Humane Society was offering evacuees boarding for pets at no cost at 361 S. Raymond Ave.
ALSO:
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