Wildfire continues to burn in Angeles National Forest [Updated]
[Updated at 9:22 a.m.: The fire has grown to 750 acres.]
Crews are continuing today to battle a 600-acre wildfire in the Angeles National Forest that is being fanned by bone-dry conditions and high temperatures and filling the skies above the L.A. Basin with thick, gray smoke.
The Morris fire, which began Tuesday afternoon near the Morris Dam north of Azusa, was 10% contained this morning, said Bryan Webb, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It forced the evacuation of campers and an 18-member Boy Scout troop, which was rescued by a helicopter crew.
View Morris fire in a larger map
The blaze is in steep terrain and burning mostly brush. The National Weather Service has issued a red-flag warning for mountain areas in Los Angeles County, and the county Fire Department is beefing up hillside-area fire units. Weather officials expect temperatures to reach into the triple digits in the valleys today.
-- Ari B. Bloomekatz
Photo: A wildfire continued to burn this morning in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
EDITOR'S PICKS:
I wish the Times would at least post a map of where the fire is - rather than this photo
Posted by: bill | August 26, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Go La County FSA's
Posted by: steve | August 26, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Great, more potheads and illegals cultivating getting stoned in the hills and burning down our forests...
Posted by: El Guapo | August 26, 2009 at 11:01 AM
My husband works in downtown Los Angeles, and he said he can smell the smoke real bad and the air there is very dirty. It's a day to keep your little kids indoors if you are in an area where the air is smokey and dirty.
Posted by: Danni | August 26, 2009 at 11:27 AM
If only they would allow the land managers to manage these lands. Goats, sheep, cattle, islands of tall timber, fuel breaks. All things that would maintain the land, animals etc.
Posted by: Jerry Flynn | August 26, 2009 at 12:36 PM
This is going to put the brakes on some cycling enthusiasts and the dreaded ride up HWY 39.
Posted by: Gabriel | August 26, 2009 at 12:41 PM
I was supposed to head up to Angeles through HWY39 this weekend. Thats not going to happen.
Posted by: LZ | August 26, 2009 at 01:01 PM
i love all the firefighters that have helped to control these fires!!! your our heroes!!! i love all of you!!! thanks
Posted by: Breanna | August 26, 2009 at 11:59 PM
For those of us who have asthma... which was is the smoke blowing? This is always a huge concern for me / asthmatics. It means either locking all doors and windows and staying inside or just being careful outside.
Posted by: sierra night tide | August 27, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I would like to thank the Firefighters for doing what they can. It saddens me to see this happening to the area. My family and several Scouts use the campgrounds and trails within the affected area a lot. Anyways I pray that no more people get hurt and the Crews fighting this and all the fires are safe and can contain them.
Posted by: Brian | August 31, 2009 at 03:14 PM