TRACTOR SPARKS BLAZE.Byline: Chris Sieroty Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - A brush fire started by a tractor burned an abandoned building in the Stevenson Ranch-Pico Canyon area west of Santa Clarita on Saturday. A helicopter pilot fighting the blaze had to be taken to a local hospital after a hard landing. Sgt. Russ Brown of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. said the fire broke out at 12:15 p.m. west of Stevenson Ranch Stevenson Ranch, California (in the 91381 ZIP Code) is a Los Angeles County, USA, unincorporated community west of Santa Clarita a few miles south of Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The Stevenson Ranch fountain was redone in 2007. Parkway and Pico Canyon Road. A man hired to do weed abatement in the area was using a tractor that sparked the flames, Brown said. Barry Meijer of Norco, who said he works for Environmental Management Services of Pasadena, was riding on the tractor when the fire broke out, he said. ``This is such a dry year. (The fire) just exploded. I'm OK - just breathed a little fire,'' Meijer said. He said he was clearing 200 feet of brush around the abandoned building when the tractor clipped something next to a tree and the fire started. The outbuilding outbuilding n. a structure not connected with the primary residence on a parcel of property. This may include a shed, garage, barn, cabana, pool house, or cottage. , which was destroyed in the blaze, was slated to be demolished de·mol·ish tr.v. de·mol·ished, de·mol·ish·ing, de·mol·ish·es 1. To tear down completely; raze. 2. To do away with completely; put an end to. 3. next year, officials said. About 200 L.A. County firefighters, supported by three helicopters, were brought in to battle the flames, which had consumed about 20 acres and was nearly contained by Saturday afternoon, officials said. Dennis Cross, public information officer for the Fire Department, said that around 1:16 p.m. County Fire Helicopter 16 was forced to make a hard landing. The pilot suffered minor back pain and was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Cross said. The cause of the hard landing was under investigation. Chris Christian, 32, of Newbury Park witnessed the landing. He said he was worried the helicopter would flip over. ``The pilot is lucky to be alive,'' Christian said. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County firefighters battle flames Saturday in the Stevenson Ranch-Pico Canyon area west of Santa Clarita. (2) A helicopter pilot, injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. after making an emergency landing while fighting Saturday's blaze, is taken to a local hospital. (3) L.A. County firefighters had nearly contained the blaze by Saturday afternoon. The fire consumed about 20 acres. (4) An abandoned building, which was scheduled for demolition next year, was destroyed in Saturday's blaze, officials said. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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