USA: Firefighters bring Los Angeles wildfire under control but danger remains

A respite in hot winds allow firefighters to bring a Los Angeles wildfire under control but soaring temperatures and possible strong winds continue to pose a danger. Firefighters evacuated 300 residents of an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood and pushed back flames from the edge of upscale homes as a wildfire in the city's largest park continued to burn on Wednesday morning (May 9). The blaze in Griffith Park, which authorities say might have been started by a careless cigarette smoker, began in the early afternoon on Tuesday (May 8) and was fanned by unseasonably high temperatures and hot Santa Ana winds through the brittle, rain-thirsty brush. A respite in hot winds on Wednesday allowed firefighters to bring the wildfire under control. But with temperatures set to reach an unseasonable 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and afternoon winds a possibility, firefighters raced to stamp out the few hot spots still burning on the steep hills of bone-dry Griffith Park. Officials said the blaze that began on Tuesday (May 8) just east of the famed Hollywood sign had consumed 817 acres (330 hectares) in the nation's largest urban park, home to landmarks like the Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theater. Firefighters evacuated people from the hilly park just east of the landmark Hollywood sign, from a museum and from the city's zoo early in the afternoon. Some 600 acres (250 hectares) had burned by 11 p.m., Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. The orange flames above the Los Feliz neighborhood, just miles from Hollywood, were visible across much of the sprawling city overnight. By afternoon on Wednesday, six hundred firefighters had made major progress in containing the flames. Arson investigators were questioning a man who was seen walking out of the brush near the fire with burns on his body. He was hospitalized, but has not been charged with starting the fire, Fire Chief Doug Barry said. No other injuries were reported. L.A. media and residents were calling it Griffith Park's worst fire in decades, maybe since the 1930s. The park, with its Greek Theatre, Observatory, zoo, trails and panoramic views, is a haven for hikers and families in the heart of the second largest U.S. city. The fire destroyed one of the favorite perches of hikers known as Dante's View. Tuesday's fire was the second in as many months in the area as Southern California registers some of the driest conditions in 80 years. Two Illinois teenagers were accused of starting a 150-acre (60-hectare) brush fire in an area near the Hollywood sign in March. Fire officials have issued a "red flag" warning for much of Southern California, denoting extremely high fire danger.

ITN Source | May 10, 2007

Tags:. .southern. .pushed. .theater. .santa. .maybe