Major emergency brush fire Griffith ParkTwo acres, moderate ROS. Reported about 1:30 p.m
Follow up report:
At 3 p.m., the fire was estimated to have burned 50 to 100 acres.
At 4 p.m. Fox news reports 115 acres burned and zoo being evacuated.
Evacuations: the Vermont Canyon area, which includes the Los Angeles Zoo, two golf facilities, a carousel, and magnate school, Freeway exit ramps near the park were closed. The 134 Freeway borders the park to the north. The 5 Freeway runs along the east side of the park.
Animals at the Griffith Park Zoo have not been evacuated(see CDF. The zoo was closed
LA Department of Recreation and Parks spokesperson Jane Kolb
Injuries: One civilian no further details
Update:1700 HRS
Los Angeles city firefighters were sent to the area near Griffith Park about 1:30 p.m., and quickly requested air support from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Smoke from the fire was affecting the flow of traffic on the 101 and 5 freeways.
A fire official said the area, which is used for hiking, is difficult to access.
Fire crews said high-tension power lines are restricting water drops.
The fire is between Roosevelt Golf Course and the 5 Freeway on the east end of the park.
Fire officials said homes are not threatened.
UPDATE:1900 HRS
Fire Near the Holywood sign...Approx. 200 acres.
LAFD requesting airtankers and additional helicopters from SoOps
LFD was also requesting:
Super Scooper
County Camp Crews
2 Helitankers from outside region
A major problem/concern is access to terrain.
In addition, LAPD is on tactical alert citywide. LAPD platoon resources have been held over for evacuation assistance.
Griffith Park is the second largest occluded interface in the country. The entire Griffith Park (4,000 acres) evacuated, L.A. Zoo, Golf Course, Gene Autry Museum, Zoo Magnet School, and Griffith Park Boys Camp.
Fire officials said that reports of an arrest connected to the fire could not be confirmed. Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation."Initial reports are that it could be suspicious," said fire department spokeswoman Melissa Kelley.Smoke from the fire is visible from north and south of the hill.
Firefighters were dealing with high temperatures, winds and low humidity --
The conditions prompted the National Weather Service to post a Red Flag Warning of extremely high fire danger through 7 p.m. in the mountains, forests and valleys of Southern California.
"This is a very bad fire circumstance," said KNBC forecaster Fritz Coleman.
Crews said the brush has not burned for about 10 years.
NWS meteorologist Andrew Rorke described the mix of heat, dryness and wind as a "classic Southern California pattern" for this time of the year, resulting from high pressure from the Pacific combined with weak Santa Anas.
Two fires have been fought in the same general area since mid-March.The larger of the two -- which ultimately blackened about 150 acres of the Hollywood Hills -- broke out the afternoon of March 30 near the Oakwood Toluca Hills apartments in the 3600 block of North Barham Boulevard.The fire raced up a hillside and at one point crept toward the city's historic Hollywood sign, but no major injuries were reported and no homes were damaged.
Two Illinois teenagers allegedly confessed to setting that fire.
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