CREWS QUICK TO JUMP ON DANGEROUS BRUSH BLAZE.Byline: Daily News NEWHALL -- A brush fire erupted Friday in the Newhall Pass Newhall Pass is a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Historically called San Fernando Pass and Fremont Pass, it separates the Santa Susana Mountains from the San Gabriel Mountains. , but 200 firefighters and nine helicopters were en route before it could rage out of control. Under a red flag warning A Red Flag Warning is a forecast warning issued by the United States National Weather Service to tell area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire ignition and propagation. signifying a high fire danger, fire officials jumped on the blaze, holding it to 40 acres, said German Aguilar, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La . ``We fight all our brush fires aggressively, especially in conditions like these,'' Aguilar said. ``We don't want to be out there for two weeks.'' The fear was that conditions were prime for a major fire -- hot, dry air and rugged terrain that's tough to access, he said. There were no injuries or damage, but the fire did prompt the closure of The Old Road, an alternate route An official alternate route is a bannered highway that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. Originally, the term for these routes was "optional"; but in 1959, the designation became alternate. to Interstate 5. Spectators also caused a miles-long traffic jam on Jam On is a Jam Bands radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 17 and Dish Network channel 6017. It has featured basketball great Bill Walton hosting a Grateful Dead show, Woodstock MC Wavy Gravy, and pedal steel genius Buddy Cage as a DJ. the freeway. Flames broke out shortly before 1 p.m. in Weldon Canyon, near the junction of I-5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. . The fire moved uphill east of I-5, and was still burning four hours later, although firefighters were gaining control. Aguilar said a cause had yet to be determined. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3 -- color SAC edition only; 2 -- 3 ran in SAC edition only) Fire crews, right, cut a line around a brush fire that broke out near The Old Road near Interstate 5 in the Newhall Pass on Friday afternoon. The 40-acre blaze backed up traffic on the freeway as drivers slowed to watch the flames and the firefighters' attack on them. Below right, fire crews and water-dropping helicopters help douse douse 1 also dowse v. doused also dowsed, dous·ing also dows·ing, dous·es also dows·es v.tr. 1. To plunge into liquid; immerse. See Synonyms at dip. 2. the fire, which broke out shortly before 1 p.m. Below left, county firefighters jumped on the blaze quickly, fearing that it would quickly spread on the hot, dry hills. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. No injuries were reported, and no damage was done to structures or vehicles, said fire officials. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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