Crews battle 62-acre brush fire threatening homes in Lake View Terrace

BySid Garcia, Jory Rand, and ABC7.com staff KABC logo
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Crews battle 62-acre brush fire threatening homes in Lake View Terrace
Crews battled a brush fire that threatened homes in Lake View Terrace.

LAKE VIEW TERRACE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Crews battled a brush fire that threatened homes in Lake View Terrace on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the 62-acre fire was near Kagel Canyon Street, north of the 210 Freeway.

Fire officials said they were called to the area at about 2:30 p.m. and stated approximately 500 personnel were at the scene.

The fire department announced the blaze had been knocked down at about 4:35 p.m.

The fire erupted amid a red flag warning that is in effect across most of Southern California as extreme winds, high temps and dry conditions raise the risk for wildfires.

Temperatures soared Wednesday, reaching 90s for Los Angeles and Orange counties, valleys and Inland Empire.

MORE: Latest Southern California weather forecast

Strong Santa Ana winds were expected, especially through the canyons and passes. The blustery conditions backed off a bit during the afternoon before picking up speed in the evening.

Winds were strong Wednesday in Porter Ranch, where a brush fire ignited Tuesday night. The blaze was mostly snuffed out, thanks to the quick work of firefighters. No homes were ever in danger.

The area saw sustained winds of 20-30 mph with gusts of up to 50 mph.

MORE: Latest weather alerts for Southern California

The hottest day of the week will be Thursday, with temps nearing triple digits before the red flag warning expires at 8 p.m.

"We've got all the elements for if we get a brush fire, it's going to be spotting, it's going to exhibit extreme fire behavior and it's going to be very difficult to corral," said Capt. Daniel Curry with L.A. City Fire.

Dry conditions are expected to last through the weekend. Fire departments have added extra crews and engines and are asking residents to report any signs of smoke or flames as soon as possible.