A fire broke out in the Sepulveda Basin on Wednesday, escalating from a grass fire to a brush fire in a quick progression, as reported by LAFD ALERT. The Los Angeles Fire Department was dispatched to 6400 N Balboa Blvd following a call at 12:16 PM, with the blaze growing to an estimated 1.5 acres pushed by northerly winds traveling at less than 5 miles per hour.
Despite the rapid spread of the fire, which included palm trees and at one point leapfrogged the Orange Line, no structures were initially threatened. The LAFD swiftly implemented structural defense, especially around the Army Recruiting Battalion parking lot, where vehicles were deemed at risk, "being treated by firefighter/paramedics", according to LAFD's update. In an unfortunate turn of events, a civilian sustained burn injuries, with details on their condition not immediately available.
Transportation in the area was affected as the Orange Line of the L.A. Metro was shut down from Woodley to White Oak avenues to facilitate firefighting efforts. In a display of communal effort, images captured by SkyCAL before the firefighting teams’ arrival showed bystanders taking matters into their own hands, attempting to quell the flames with shovels and water.
The situation took a turn for the better at approximately 1:52 PM when the LAFD announced "All Forward Progress Stopped" after the fire had consumed around 4 acres of the basin, as noted by LAFD ALERT. The fire reportedly threatened a nearby encampment, however, no structural damage was reported. The patient who was previously attended to by paramedics for burn injuries declined further medical treatment and transport. This development emerged in CBS Los Angeles' coverage of the incident.
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