BOUQUET CANYON BLAZE BURNS 3,200 ACRES.

Byline: Amy Raisin  Staff Writer

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - Hundreds of residents were evacuated and nearly 100 horses were towed to safety as a brush fire burned 3,200 acres in Bouquet Canyon on Saturday, authorities said.

The fire was reported about 10:30 a.m. at 50 acres, but quickly grew, bringing 1,000 firefighters to the Angeles National Forest to fight the blaze, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Brian Jordan said.

One shed was destroyed. By evening, the fire, its cause under investigation, was 10 percent contained.

Anna Ortiz and her housemates deep in the canyon scrambled to load valuables and property into a pickup about 2:30 p.m. as flakes of ash fell like a light snow.

``We're grabbing everything we can,'' said Ortiz. ``Pictures, paperwork, birth certificates. Stuff that's been in the family for years. Antiques. To be honest, I'm too worn out to be scared at this point. We just have to keep going.''

Despite the hour, it seemed like late evening as the thick smoke filtered out the sun and blue sky while they packed their things.

Ortiz's neighbor, Patricia Barrowclough, watched the others pack but ignored repeated orders from authorities who told her to evacuate.

``We survived a huge fire up here years back. I feel safe that they'll take care of it again,'' Barrowclough said. ``It was right down to the back of our house last time.''

She and her husband, however, had already put their two dogs and one cat in their car in case they decided the must flee the encroaching flames.

``We've been warned, yes,'' she said. ``But it's been worse. Last time it bubbled the paint on his truck, but (the firefighters) let us through. They've told us to go, but if we stay we know it's at our own risk.''

As the flames continued to jump roads and ridges, firetrucks from Glendale, Pasadena and Burbank roared passed the roadblock.

The Red Cross was expected to set up an evacuation center to accommodate 200 to 500 people in the Saugus High School gym.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control arrived at about 2 p.m. to figure out how to get the nearly 100 horses to safety.

From the roadblock at Bouquet Canyon and Vasquez Canyon roads, Animal Control spokeswoman Kaye Michelson requested help from six animals shelters and an equine response team.

``We're advising homeowners to hook up their trailers, get their horses together,'' Michelson said. ``We're rounding up all the trailers we can to help get these horses out safely.''

The canyon is home to 110 cabins, Gayle Wright, an Angeles National Forest spokeswoman, told The Associated Press.

Jordan told the AP flames got within 20 feet to 30 feet from some homes before hitting a firebreak created by firefighters.

``These are people living in the forest,'' he said. ``There are homes directly threatened.''

Sabrina Decker contributed to this report.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) One of the 1,000 area firefighters called in Saturday battles the Bouquet Canyon blaze. By Saturday evening, it had consumed about 3,200 acres.

(2 -- 3) One of the hundreds of residents, above, told to flee their homes Saturday loads possessions into a pickup. Below, firefighters work to save a house threatened by the flames. By evening, only a shed had been destroyed, but about 100 horses had been towed to safety in the Bouquet Canyon blaze.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

(4 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) A Los Angeles County firefighter monitors the blaze that erupted Saturday in Bouquet Canyon, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. The fire's cause was still under investigation.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer