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Photos, Videos: Brush Fire Rages In The Mountains East Of Los Angeles
The hills of Los Angeles are burning, this time in an unseasonably hot January climate.
This most recent brusher, dubbed the Colby Fire by fire officials, was first reported at 6 a.m. this morning in the hills above Glendora, according to the Los Angeles Times. The fire has so far scorched an astonishing 1700 acres and shows no signs of containment, NBC 4 reports. One person has been injured by the fire, but the extent of the injuries is uncertain.
The giant plumes of smoke and ash enveloped the eastern portion of Los Angeles County and made for some eerie and apocalyptic images of smoke looming over the Downtown L.A. skyline.
Glendora Police Chief Tim Staab said in a press conference today that three men in their early 20s were seen "walking suspiciously away" from the fire and were arrested. Staab said that at least one of the three has admitted to starting the fire and a makeshift campfire that was being fed by burning pieces of paper caused the blaze. They are being held in the Glendora city jail on charges of recklessly starting a fire and their bail has been set at $20,000 each.
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The area where the campfire was is "Not a camping area, but people do camp in the hills above Glendora," Staab said.
The three suspects have been identified as Steven Robert Aguirre, 21, who is homeless; Jonathan Carl Jarrell, 23, of Irwindale; and Clifford Eugene Henry, 23, of Glendora.
So far, at least two structures have burned in the blaze, including the Singer Mansion, a well-known estate in the area that was built in the early 1930s. Meanwhile, mandatory evacuations are underway for parts of Northern Glendora and Azusa, and five elementary schools, St. Lucy's Priory High School and Citrus Community College are all closed for the day.
Check out some more dramatic pictures from the fire:
#Colbyfire plume from Beverly Hills http://t.co/S5mkRoaZ18 pic.twitter.com/wVIUyfh8b0
— Marc Martin (@latpix) January 16, 2014
#Incredible scene of #Colbyfire plume rising above Los Angeles skyline http://t.co/gTuE4lgdSy pic.twitter.com/d5CZR5XLjI
— Marc Martin (@latpix) January 16, 2014
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