Despite resources being spread thin across the county, Los Angeles firefighters surrounded flames that broke out on Friday in El Sereno.
The flames were first reported at about 11:30 a.m. Friday in the 2800 block of North Eastern Avenue and have since spread to 40 acres. No structures were threatened, but a plume of visible smoke could be seen across a wide area.
The latest outbreak is one of at least six fires in Southern California that firefighters have been battling since Thursday.
Update #BrushFire; INC#0929; 2:00PM; 2839 N Eastern Av; https://t.co/vN5oa8dFdG; #ElSereno; This is a terrain driven fire (no heavy winds) that moved into heavy brush and now estimated at 20 acres. Firefighters continue to work ... https://t.co/VN126GqO8A
— LAFD (@LAFD) October 11, 2019
While the fire is much smaller and slower moving than others in the Southern California area, firefighters are facing a different challenge -- most available resources are elsewhere. That means workers are moving just seven trucks around Soto Hill as they go, pulling a hose up one side of the hill, putting out flames, pulling the hose back and then climbing up another side of the hill to do the same.
"With limited resources, they are doing a lot of work up there -- more tasks than we normally asked of them," said Los Angeles Fire Department Assistant Chief Kady Kepner. "They are doing a lot of hiking, a lot of moving."
Firefighters have the blaze fully surrounded, and water drops are ongoing.
Kepner added that winds near the El Sereno fire were lower than elsewhere in the county, at about five miles per hour.
"We are lucky we don't have as much wind here," she said.
The fire has burned heavy brush, and a few fences behind homes.
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Reporter Frank Stoltze is at the scene and is talking to the incident commander, we will have more shortly. Editor Melissa Leu and digital producer Jessica Ogilvie are in the office monitoring for the latest and updating this post.
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UPDATES:
3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with information about how the fire is being fought, and its increase from 20 to 40 acres.
4:56 p.m.: This article was updated with quotes and information from Los Angeles Fire Department Assistant Chief Kady Kepner.
This article was originally published at 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2019.
