Acton News Index7-5-05 ACTON - A fire that swept through the hills north of this town charred more than 575 acres and threatened at least 50 homes Thursday evening.The fire, which began around 5:30 p.m., quickly spread from its origin in a back yard to the mountains nearby.
"This whole area was hit by fires last year," said Inspector Mike McCormick of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
McCormick said the fire began in the back yard of a house off the mountain, where an automobile or shed caught fire.
With the wind blowing north at 15 to 20 miles an hour and ample dry brush, the fire moved north up the mountains and into a small community south of Palmdale.
As the blaze grew, so did the number of firefighters, with units from the county, Los Angeles City and United States Department of Forestry responding.
McCormick said 300 firefighters were battling the blaze.
A total of five fire department helicopters, three from Los Angeles County and two from the city of Los Angeles, doused the hillside with water. Air tankers carrying more than 2,000 gallons of fire retardant stopped the flames before any could spread further.
By 11 p.m., crews had the fire 70% contained, and most of it was out.
The fire that swept through the area last year helped the fire crews. The Crown fire burned 12,000 acres over five days in July 2004. The fire destroyed a mobile home and an abandoned house, several outbuildings and a historic wood bridge in Aliso Canyon.
But that fire last year helped lighten the amount of brush available to burn Thursday night. Even with a record rain season that made dry grass plentiful in the Antelope Valley, the fuel load was light, county fire Inspector Ron Haralson said.
"Though it will burn fast, we can get a handle on it," he said.
But that brings little comfort to Acton residents, who expect a bad fire season this year.
As he stood on the corner of Sierra Highway and Angeles Crest Road, Russ Hoffman remembered what happened last year.
"Our house almost burned up last year in the Acton fire," he said.
"I've been here 16 years," he said. "Last year and this year are probably the worst fire seasons I've ever seen."