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Fire Updates: Palos Verdes, Station Fire, Morris Fire, Cottonwood Fire
Four major fires have consumed around 4,600 acres across the greater Los Angeles region this past week. Here's the latest, as of 9:30 a.m., according to fire information officers for each of the blazes.
Palos Verdes Fire
The fire that began around 8 p.m. last night has only consumed 100 acres in a residential area prompting the evacuation of around 1,200 to 1,500 people. It's 35 percent contained and despite earlier reports of lost homes, six structures have been damaged along with the complete destruction of one outbuilding and a gazebo, according to Inspector Steve Zermeno from the LA County Fire Department. A full list of damage will be available later today. 400 personnel are currently working on the blaze that at the moment is not being pushed by wind. "That's going to be good for our fightfighters out there," said Zermeno. [Find complete LAist coverage of the fire here]
Station Fire
The Station Fire, which was originally traveling north in the Angeles National Forest, took a turn for the worse as winds shifted it southward towards homes in La Canada Flintridge. 1,500 acres have burned and containment has been downgraded to zero percent, says Gabriel Alverez, a fire information officer with the U.S. Forest Service. A mandatory evacuation is now in affect for 873 homes north of Vista del Valle Road, East of La Canada Boulevard and north of Starlight Crest Drive. The evacuation center is now at La Canada High School. 750 personnel have responded to the scene, which includes four helicopters, one air tanker and 14 to 16 engines. Highway 2 remains closed as the conflagration continues to move in a southward direction in triple digit heat. The LA Times reports flames got within three quarters of a mile of homes. [Find complete LAist coverage of the fire here]
Morris Fire
Activity is much lower on this wildfire that begun on Monday afternoon. With 60 percent containment, it has burned through 2,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and Glendora. 1,653 personnel have responded, said Alverez. The blaze is not threatening residential neighborhoods, but a mandatory evacuation remains for Camp Williams with voluntary evacuations set at Rainbow Ranch and Valley of the Moon. The evacuation center is located at El Roble School in Claremont. [Find complete LAist coverage of the fire here]
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Cottonwood Fire
As of 8 a.m., San Bernardino National Forest officials are saying the fire has burned through at least 1,000 acres and has been contained at five percent. Located two miles east of Hemet, where temperatures are predicted to be 106 with light winds today, an mandatory evacuation order is in affect for Willowbrook Road in the Val Vista area, according to Melinda Lyon of the Forest Service. Highway 74 between Borco Street and Highway 243 in Mountain Center is closed. A community meeting in Idyllwild is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight at the Idyllwild School gymnasium. [Find complete LAist coverage of the fire here]
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