News

Brush fire scorches L.A.'s landmark Griffith Park

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Firefighters battled through the night against an urban brush fire that scorched some 600 acres of Los Angeles' historic Griffith Park.
Lower temperatures and calmer winds early Wednesday allowed the 500 firefighters on the scene to contain the blaze at 40 percent, Los Angeles Fire Capt. Brian Sandwick said.
"We have enough people in place right now for the anticipated weather conditions," Sandwick said. "We're going to keep the companies here until we have full containment."
A red-flag warning was issued for the region Wednesday due to low humidity, temperatures close to 100 degrees and 20-mph Santa Ana winds in one of the Los Angeles area's driest seasons in history, CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said. (Watch what concerns firefighters on Wednesday )
The park is in the Hollywood Hills, about 10 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It includes the city's zoo and botanical gardens and the copper-domed Griffith Park Observatory.
The fire forced the Los Angeles Zoo to put most of its 1,200 animals inside holding quarters, The Associated Press reported.
"So far the animals are faring fine," Jason Jacobs, director of marketing and public relations for the zoo, told the AP.
The spreading flames prompted mandatory evacuations of up to 300 homes Tuesday in the Los Feliz neighborhood on the park's south side, according to the fire department.
Residents were allowed to begin returning home Wednesday morning as the blaze edged westward, away from their residences.
No landmarks in the 4,200-acre park are in danger as of Wednesday, fire officials said, although one home was damaged Tuesday. (Watch firefighters work to protect homes )
Firefighters' main concern was that the flames on a steep hillside in the park would move into trees and jump a road to a heavy pine area, which could spread the fire to Interstate 5.
"We're having what we call 'torching' -- trees are lighting up and burning like Roman candles," Sandwick said.
Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge told reporters that "this fire has danced around like nothing I've ever seen."
Arson investigators search for cause
Arson investigators were questioning a man in connection with the blaze, but he was not considered a suspect, Deputy Fire Chief Mario Ruda said Tuesday.
Firefighter Eric French said that it's believed the blaze began at a golf course on the north side of the park after someone threw a lit cigarette into the brush.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said there are no facts indicating the fire was caused by arson, adding that "it could have been an accident."
One man suffered second- and third-degree burns in connection with the blaze, the fire department said. (Watch flames force firefighters to take refuge )
The picturesque park has been used as a location for numerous television shows and films, including 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause" and 1985's "Back to the Future."
Wildfires raged in other parts of the U.S. on Wednesday, including a 107,000-acre blaze in southeast Georgia described as the largest in the state's history. (Full story)
In parts of the Midwest, the problem was not fire, but water, in the form of flooding. Thousands of people living along the Missouri River fled their homes after five levees broke, sending floodwaters surging through towns. (Full story)
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report

posted by mhai @ 9:13 AM