Firefighters get upper hand on Agua Dulce brush fire

LOS ANGELES

It began on Monday around 1 p.m. when a barn and trailer caught on fire on the 32000 block of Wagon Wheel Road.

It has since grown to more than 500 acres, but is now 70 percent contained.

The weather has been cooperating with firefighters; there have been cool temperatures overnight, humidity and little wind.

But there is more hot weather in the forecast, which means the danger for flare ups is still something they have to worry about.

A firefighter battling the blaze and a resident suffered minor injuries. The only structures lost in the fire were the barn and trailer.

"It's very frightening," said Agua Dolce resident Erin Taylor. "We've had fires here many times in the area around us, but this is the closest we've seen in 11 years. We're a little frightened here."

No mandatory evacuation orders were in place. Residents who voluntarily evacuated with their farm animals were told they could return late Monday night.

There is also another fire in the Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles that began after 4 p.m. on Monday. It has burned through about 10 acres of thick brush, coming within a couple hundred yards of homes.

Fortunately the fire was slow moving and an onshore flow pushed the flames away from homes. There have been no injuries and no structures burned.

The L.A. County Fire Department has large aircraft that will be a big help in battling blazes during this year's fire season. They have brought in two Canadian Super Scoopers, capable of scooping up 1,600 gallons of water in just a few minutes.

Firefighters also have an Erikson Air-Crane Helitanker. Officials gave the media a look at those firefighting resources Tuesday morning.

See photos of the brush fire burning in the Agua Dulce area.

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