CREWS DOUSE HOT SPOTS WIND-FED FIRE NEAR LAKE ELIZABETH HALTED AFTER CHARRING 250 ACRES.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LAKE ELIZABETH - Fire crews cleared brush and watched for hot spots Thursday after a blaze broke out Wednesday evening and scorched more than 250 acres, officials said.

Fire crews planned to work well into the night, maintaining the fire line and equipping ground and air crews with infrared equipment to search for hot spots, officials said. Investigators also will continue to look for the cause of the fire.

The infrared equipment allows firefighters to spot and then water down an area to prevent the fire from reigniting.

``Because of the terrain, we are flying over the area to search for hot spots, and ground crews will handle any of the areas they can access,'' fire inspector Mike Brown said. ``The fire lines are in place but we want to make sure it's clear.''

The fire broke out about 4 p.m. Wednesday and - fanned by 30 mph winds and triple-digit temperatures - quickly spread out of control. The winds slowed about 7 p.m., and firefighters were able to get a handle on the blaze.

Crews had access to plenty of water, with Lake Elizabeth just across the road from fire lines and the California Aqueduct less than a mile north of the site.

``It all went pretty smoothly considering the conditions,'' Brown said. ``It could have been much worse.''

Fire officials also reported that, despite initial fears, this fire season has been relatively mild. With record temperatures and strong winds causing problems throughout the Antelope Valley, fires have been contained rather quickly or have been in areas that restricted the spread of flames.

``It's just starting to pick up now,'' Brown said. ``With temperatures rising and the humidity lowering, we're getting a bit more busy. We're responding to more fire calls and more heat-related medical calls but overall it has been very, very mild compared to what we expected.''