The Los Angeles Fire Department made significant headway against the Sepulveda Fire that sparked late Wednesday night, halting its advance by early Thursday morning after it consumed 40 acres of land near the I-405 Freeway. KTLA reported that the blaze, which ignited off North Sepulveda Boulevard and Getty Center Drive around 11 p.m., was driven by both the terrain and the Santa Ana winds, which threatened to push the fire up the hillsides of Brentwood and Bel Air. Despite these challenges, aggressive aerial water drops and the swift response of ground crews managed to contain the fire without causing damage to structures or injuries to residents and firefighters.
Following a swift evacuation due to threats from the flames that firefighters worked throughout the night to quench with multiple rounds of water drops, residents were allowed to return as evacuation warnings were lifted by 2 a.m. No injuries were reported, and no structures were damaged, according to FOX LA.
However, the area wasn't completely safe as the Sepulveda Fire was only a few miles east over the Santa Monica Mountains from areas still recovering from the devastating Palisades Fire which had occurred earlier in the month, as pointed out by CBS News Los Angeles. Traffic disruptions continued into Thursday morning with road closures in the Sepulveda Pass, notably Sepulveda Boulevard, and some on and off-ramps to the 405 Freeway, as firefighting apparatus remained on the scene. However, by 4:30 a.m. a SigAlert was canceled and roadways began to reopen.
While the immediate danger has been curbed, the cause of the Sepulveda Fire remains under investigation at this time. "Firefighters will remain on scene through the night conducting mop up operations to ensure no hot spots remain," as emphasized by the LAFD's incident alert.
