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Sepulveda Fire In Bel Air Burns 50 Acres; Containment At 25%
The Sepulveda Fire burns in the hills of Bel Air near the 405 Freeway on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. (Courtesy Erik Scott/LAFD via Twitter)
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A brush fire broke out just after midnight in the hills of Bel Air and had burned an estimated 50 acres by early Wednesday. As of 8:30 a.m., the blaze was 25% contained, according to Los Angeles Fire Department officials.
The Sepulveda Fire started near Sepulveda Boulevard in the burn scar of the Skirball Fire. Video from the scene hearkened back to famous footage from 2017's fire.
No structures are currently threatened and no evacuation orders are in place, according to fire officials. The 405 remains open in both directions, but the off-ramps to Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard are closed, according to the California Highway Control.
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More than 200 firefighters are battling the early-morning blaze. With help from water-dropping helicopters, crews have been able to get a jump on the fire.
"We flanked both sides where we had firefighters rush up these steep, steep hills to be able to pinch this fire together to minimize it from spreading up these canyons, and we certainly utilized our aircraft to take the heat out of the head of the fire," LAFD spokesperson Erik Scott told KPCC/LAist this morning.
Scott said conditions are hot and dry, but the fire is primarily terrain-driven thanks to minimal-to-moderate wind.
The fire is considered a "dirty burn," said LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart, meaning there's a mix of burned, unburned and partially burned vegetation within its footprint. Firefighters are working three sides of the fire "through the steep, difficult terrain to complete the fire line and increase containment," she said.
Two firefighters were treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries, fire officials said. The cause of the fire remains under active investigation.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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