Some Lake Fire Evacuees Allowed To Return Home Friday
LAKE HUGHES (CBSLA) – Some of the residents who have been under evacuation orders for more than a week because of the Lake Fire burning near Lake Hughes in the Angeles National Forest were allowed back into their homes Friday.
The Lake Fire has scorched 29,365 acres and is 52% contained as of Friday evening. It has also destroyed several homes.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department began repopulating one area of the evacuation zone beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.
That included the area:
- East of Shafer Road
- West of Mountain View Road
- South of Highway 138
- North of Pine Canyon and Elizabeth Lake roads
The following zone, however, remains under a mandatory evacuation order:
- East of Old Ridge Route
- West of Shafer Road
- South of Highway 138
- North of Pine Canyon and Elizabeth Lake Road
- Lakes Hughes Road south of Deeswood Drive and north of Dry Gulch Road
The Lake Fire broke out 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. About 100 homes were ordered to evacuate, and have been under those mandatory evacuation orders until today.
The blaze has destroyed 12 structures, including several homes, and 21 outbuildings. It has also damaged six others. 1,329 structures remain threatened. The cause is unknown.
As of Thursday night, 1,843 firefighters are battling the blaze with the help of six water-dropping helicopters.
The U.S. Forest Service and LACFD are heading up the firefight with the assistance of several nearby agencies.