Brush Fire Erupts In Sepulveda Pass Area Of Bel-Air
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Crews were getting a handle on a brush fire which broke out along the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass area of Bel-Air early Wednesday morning amid hot and dry conditions.
The Sepulveda Fire was reported just after midnight on a hillside in the 1300 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, along the east side of the 405 Freeway south of Getty Center Drive, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
It grew to 50 acres and was 25% contained as of 8:30 a.m. It was burning in rough, steep terrain on a west facing slope in an old burn scar from the December 2017 Skirball Fire. The fire was a so-called "dirty burn," meaning it was moving through unburned, burned and partially burned vegetation, the fire department said.
No homes were threatened and there were no evacuation orders. There were no civilian injuries, though two firefighters were evaluated for minor injuries at the scene and were released.
More than 200 firefighters were battling the fire from the ground with the help of four water-dropping helicopters.
"There is hot spots and there continue to be hot spots," LAFD Capt. Erik Scott told reporters early Wednesday morning. This is rugged, remote terrain, some thick brush, some grass area, the light, flashy fuel that spreads quicker through that area. But again, what people need to know, is that we're getting an upper hand on this, there's no formal evacuations. And to make sure you adhere to the ready, set, go program. Which is, if you've chosen to live in these beautiful communities, you always need to be ready."
Although the freeway itself remained open, the offramps for Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard were closed.
Winds were not an issue for firefighters Wednesday morning, but temperatures were expected to hit the mid-90s, with humidity of only 9%.
Multiple brush fires have broke out throughout the region over the past several days. On Tuesday, a fire forced voluntary evacuations in Hacienda Heights. Other fires also broke out in the Hollywood Hills, Boyle Heights and near Camp Pendleton.
There was no word on a possible cause to the fire.
The Sepulveda Fire is the second fire to break out in this area in the past nine months. On Oct. 28, 2019, the Getty Fire broke out on the west side of the 405 Freeway, near the Getty Center, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. It charred 745 acres and destroyed 10 homes. It was deemed to have been accidentally caused by a tree branch that broke off and landed on some power lines owned by the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
