Infrastructure Clusterfuck Wk. Continues

As we type all the local commercial (English language) stations but NBC & CBS are Live from Hell as Sylmar burns.

By JOSEPH SERNA  STAFF WRITER

OCT. 11, 2019

 

12:56 AM

The Saddleridge fire in the San Fernando Valley exploded to 1,600 acres early Friday amid powerful Santa Ana winds, threatening numerous foothill communities and closing the 210 and 5 freeways.

The fire, which started in Sylmar, is moving rapidly to the west toward Granada Hills and Porter Ranch. Hundreds of homes were threatened across a wide area, and choppers were making night water drops in hopes of slowing the fire.

The fire was first reported about 9 p.m. on the north side of the 210 Freeway, but with winds gusting up to 60 mph, firebrands soared over the 210 and 5 freeways and ignited more dry brush. A 30-acre spot fire broke out west of Balboa and pushed west, officials said.

Evacuations have been ordered for Oakridge Estates, Glenoaks and the Foothill area.

“If you live in that area, please just pack up and leave now,” Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said during an interview with Fox 11.

Firefighters were throwing everything they could at the blaze through the night.

They deployed bulldozers, multiple helicopters and, remarkably, a fixed-wing aircraft making retardant drops under the cover of darkness. State fire regulations prohibit flying fixed-wing after dark but the aircraft was with the U.S. Forest Service, said Los Angeles Firefighter John Ferrer.

“It is unusual,” Ferrer acknowledged. “It’s probably because the incident is so dynamic.”

The fire was pushing both east and west, running parallel to the 210 freeway.

Firefighters were concerned with its westward push, which would eventually get it close to new developments and Topanga Canyon, Ferrer said. There are few options for firefighters against a wind-driven fire with lots of things to burn.

“Because of the wind-driven factor, it creates a more defensive posture for firefighters,” Ferrer said. “We wait until the wind dies down and can deploy adequate resources to contain the flanks of the fire and an early morning attack on the fire. But at this time we’re in flux.”

At least one business was burned and local news broadcasts showed several homes and an apartment complex on fire.

More spot fires popped up on the valley floor beneath power lines and near other buildings, further spreading firefighters’ resources thin.

Firefighters were focusing their air attack on the rear of the fire in the hills, Stewart said, while firefighters on the ground were defending structures.

Winds were blowing at about 10 to 15 mph on the valley floor and about 25 mph in the foothills above Sylmar, with gusts as strong as 60 mph. The air remains extremely dry and primed to encourage fire growth, the National Weather Service said.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the 210 Freeway in both directions between the 5 and 118 freeways. The 5 freeway was closed between Balboa and the 210 freeway. There was no indication of when the freeways would reopen.

About 10:50 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department issued a citywide tactical alert in response to the fire. The department is working with the Los Angeles Fire Department “to carry out any necessary evacuations,” the LAPD tweeted. ”We urge you to be prepared & follow all public safety instructions.”

https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/1182533999492657152

CHP dispatch logs showed many motorists calling 911 reporting they were stuck on the freeway because of the fire. One person said they were scared that the network of high-voltage power lines that dominate the skyline in that area could fall onto the freeway.

Those same power lines appeared to hinder firefighters’ efforts to drop water directly onto the flames as winds pushed the water sideways.

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power announced at 10:43 p.m. that it had shut off power flow along major transmission lines in the vicinity of the fire to assist with firefighting operations.

There have been no outages as the result of shutting off power flows. Power is being rerouted to customers using other paths away from the affected area, according to the department.

City News Service contributed to this report.