Griffith Park Fire... Again

Yesterday, a Los Angeles City fire helicopter makes a water drop on a brush fire near the Griffith Observatory with the Planetarium and the telescope domes seen in the background. (AP Photo/Kevork Djanse)

Yesterday's fire was knocked down quickly, but it started to bring back memories of last year, almost to date. The big 2007 wildfire charred 800 acres, but when yesterday's fire began, the Los Angeles Fire Department went aggressively after it, sending four helicopters and 262 firefighters (LA County sent an additional helicopter as well).

The fire was knocked down at 6:29 p.m., lasting just under three hours and scorching five acres. Crews are still on the scene in "mop up" stages this morning making sure it is "dead out," according to d'Lisa Davies, spokesperson for the department. There was only one minor injury to a park ranger reported and while all this happened, crews in the Valley were fighting a brush fire in the Sepulveda Dam.

Rains this year brought out a lot of growth. That, combined with earlier than usual days of high heat, have been drying out grass quickly, making for easy fuel during a fire season. Last summer, humidity helped keep the fires to a minimum within the city limits, but with dry grass, this could be a pattern. For the fire department, their keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for a safe and uneventful summer. So are we.