A brush fire erupted in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles late Tuesday night, with the Los Angeles Fire Department reporting that the blaze, dubbed the Hurst Fire, began at approximately 10:10 p.m. near the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, as reported by CBS News. Fueled by gusty winds, the fire quickly grew to consume 500 acres of brush. The California Highway Patrol noted that what seemed to be an entire mountainside was on fire, prompting immediate evacuations for affected residents north of the 210 Freeway from Roxford and the 5/SR-14 Freeway split.
In response to the expanding emergency, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office secured federal aid through a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA, aimed to support the raging Hurst Fire now threatening areas including San Fernando and Newhall. "We are working vigorously to ensure maximum support for firefighting efforts in Los Angeles," the Governor said, in a statement obtained by KTLA. This grant comes as a critical resource as the fire has forced evacuations of over 44,000 people and placed 27,000 more under evacuation warnings, with 40,000 structures reported as threatened.
Several evacuation centers were rapidly set up to assist those displaced by the fire, including the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in Pacoima, Northridge Park, and the Sepulveda Recreation Center. Additionally, road closures are in effect on the westbound lanes of the 210 Freeway and southbound I-5 connectors to eastbound I-210 due to the smoke, as per KTLA. With another fire reported in Sun Valley, which briefly closed I-5, resources of the Los Angeles Fire Department are stretched, especially with water-dropping aircraft unable to fly due to the strong winds battering the region.
Firefighters are urging residents in the area to prepare to evacuate swiftly, advising them to back cars into driveways, open garage doors, gather pets, and ready "go bags" for quick departure. LAFD warns, "If you see sparks or embers in your neighborhood or feel threatened by the fire, leave now," as stated by Patch.
