Children Playing with Fireworks Spark Sun Valley Wildfire
Arid climate and strong winds have made SoCal a hotbed for brush fires this week. Los Angeles area firefighters did not relax on Labor Day. Instead, they responded to a fast moving wildfire in Sun Valley on Monday. The cause? Children illegally playing with fireworks.
Responding by ground and air, firefighters from the L.A. County Fire Department, Burbank Fire Department and Angeles National Forest joined forces to successfully combat the blaze in the Verdugo Mountains. Their efforts protected nearby homes as the fire scorched approximately ten acres of the hillside.
Flames were confined within two hours, but the tinder-dry brush was confirmed extinguished after eight hours. Crews using hand tools worked the fire's edge to assure the fire was out.
The wildfire in Kern County continues to roar through the brush. Today marks the third day of the blaze. As of 7pm on Monday, 12 residences and 18 outbuildings were destroyed while 650 residences and 1500 commercial properties were threatened, reports the Tehachapi News. Only 10% of the fire was contained at 8,644 acres.
