Crews make progress against Antelope Valley brush fire

Libor Jany
·2 min read

Los Angeles County fire crews on Sunday evening stopped forward progress of a fast-moving wildfire in the Antelope Valley that had consumed nearly 1,600 acres, according to authorities and news reports.

The first fire crews were dispatched around 1:45 p.m. to battle the blaze, dubbed the Danny fire, centered at West Avenue D and North 130th Street — just outside Lancaster — according to a report by KTLA-TV. Efforts to contain its spread were complicated by high winds in the area.

In a tweet at about 3:40 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department said it had dispatched one of its helicopters to help in the containment efforts — one of numerous agencies to send aircraft to the area. Videos posted to a Facebook page devoted to Antelope Valley showed helicopters dropping fire retardant on flames as thick smoke billowed into the air.

A message left for an on-duty L.A. County Fire Department spokesperson wasn't immediately returned on Sunday afternoon.

KTLA reported that wind gusts of more than 20 miles per hour were fanning the flames north toward Kern County.

The National Weather Service said in an alert that it expected gusty winds in the area Sunday evening, blowing in a south and southwest direction. Even with a "cooling and moistening trend" toward the middle of the week, the forecast agency said that "dry conditions are likely to persist through at least Tuesday."

"There is a slight chance of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms ... between Monday and Wednesday," the alert read. "If any showers and thunderstorms do approach or come near the burn area, gusty and erratic outflow winds are possible."

By 7:14 p.m. Sunday the brush fire had reportedly swelled to nearly 1,600 acres. KTLA reported that roughly 20 homes had been evacuated, citing officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

California Highway Patrol announced the closure of Avenue D between 110th and 140th streets and advised motorists to use alternative routes.

A cause of the fire hadn't been revealed as of 8 p.m. Sunday, and no injuries were yet reported.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.