A wildfire in the Verdugo Mountains lying north of downtown Los Angeles has spread to cover 5,800-acre, forcing evacuations and closing down part of the 210 freeway for nine miles. The fire broke out on Friday and has been aided by the unpredictable weather in the area, keeping firefighters on their toes in an effort to contain the blaze. According to the LA Times, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local emergency and urged Governor Jerry Brown to do the same in order to expedite aid to the city as the fire grows to historic levels:
The La Tuna fire was believed to be one of the largest in L.A. city history in terms of sheer acreage, officials said. The blaze destroyed three homes in Tujunga, but no injuries were reported.
The fire, which shrouded the sky with plumes of white smoke, was only 10% contained late Saturday.
The wildfire that’s burning north of Los Angeles right now is reportedly the largest ever within the city’s borders. https://t.co/yOhzSHtRpr
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) September 3, 2017
Despite its size, the fire has only destroyed three homes. Garcetti called the lack of property lost to the fire “pretty amazing,” but concerns from firefighters about the weather could still force an expansion of the evacuation zone outside of north Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale according to Reuters.
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The battle against the fire has been made far worse by the heat wave that is currently affecting the area, with temperatures reaching triple-digit highs near 115 degrees according to the Los Angeles Times. Humidity and rain from Tropical Storm Lidia has fire officials hoping for relief from the heat and aid in battling the fire before it can spread to be any worse.
