LA Sayre Fire Threatens Power Cuts

Much of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar is a smoldering ruin Saturday. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - Raging wildfires threatened lines of high voltage transmission along Southern California’s Interstate 5, causing the utility that serves Los Angeles to orchestrate rotating power cuts in some neighborhoods for nearly an hour Saturday .

Four firefighters were injured and more than 10,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in northern San Fernando Valley driven by wind-Sayre Fire, named after the street where she was first spotted in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.

The fire Sayre, which owns over 6500 acres burned since its start Friday night, was one of the three, at least, affecting the Los Angeles area Saturday.

In Santa Barbara County, the Tea fire was contained around 40 percent after destroying more than 100 homes and burning 1800 acres since Thursday.

The south of Los Angeles, a brush fire that started in Corona has been moved in Yorba Linda, destroying at least 30 houses and 800 hectares for 1000 sweaty, according to CNN affiliate KTLA.

(4 hours ET) Saturday, the Sayre fire was 10 percent contained, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

The Sayre-fueled brush fire broke out Friday afternoon in the steep terrain of the Angeles National Forest on the outskirts of Sylmar, about 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

It covered 1500 acres and threatened at least 1,000 homes just three hours after it was reported, according to the spokesperson Los Angeles Fire Armando Hogan.

On Saturday afternoon, people were taking refuge in evacuation shelters set up in three secondary schools in the region, officials said.

Horses and other large animals were being taken to a makeshift shelter at Hansen Dam Park. A mobile kennel was established in Sylmar High School, where small pets could be brought into the Mission animal shelters.

The fire was moving 1 mph, said Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda, forcing the closure of most roads in the valley, including Interstate 5, 405 and 210.

The I-5 corridor through the city of Sylmar is an important energy corridor carrying utility for the city ’s Department of Water and Power and other utilities from plants in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

“The LADWP closed off these lines to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public. Power was turned off for the Mid-City, Crenshaw and Harbor Gateway neighborhoods for 45 minutes.

Augustine Reyes and his family left their home in Sylmar for about 2 hours on Saturday when they could not stand the oppressive heat and smoke invading the mountains behind their house.

When Reyes returned to survey the scene Saturday afternoon, all that remained were heaps of charred rubble.

Reyes dabbed her eyes with a bandana as he worried over how to describe the loss to his 7-year-old son.

“He’s autistic and doesn ‘t do well with change, so this will be very difficult to explain to him,” said Reyes.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon after the fire damaged destroyed more than 165 homes and closed major highways.

In Los Angeles, Villaraigosa a city declared  a state of emergency early Saturday morning and called for the public’s cooperation

The Sayre fire jumped the I-5 Saturday, and headed west toward areas burned by fire last month in Sesnon Porter Ranch.

About 500 mobile homes in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park near Sylmar structural were among the victims. At least 5,000 residents of Sylmar, were ordered to flee early Saturday.

Gusting winds of up to 80 mph pushed the flames into canyons and rugged terrain, where firefighters battled to contain it. The temperature reached 90 degrees in the Valley, with moisture in remainder only 10 to 15 percent.

Residents in Granada Hills and Puerto Ranch communities were among those ordered to leave their homes Saturday, said Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Michel Moore.

“This fire is moving so quickly that they can ‘t wait,” said Moore, warning residents not to wait until they see flames.

John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said his department was helping bulldozers, hand crews and water-dropping helicopters to extinguish the effort. A dozen helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, were to be available until Sunday morning, he said.

Tripp said firefighters were trying to stand in front of the fire and create lines of control, especially to keep it from spreading farther north toward Santa Clarita. Twenty-five teams of emergency, equal to 125 engines, were being used, he said.

At the Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar, about 200 patients were sheltered in place as flames approached, according to hospital spokeswoman Carla Nino.

The hospital lost power early Saturday, and there were problems with emergency generators, but they finally kicked in, Nino said.

Five children and six adults in the intensive care unit were evacuated by ambulances to other medical institutions, as well as the hospital’s nursery caught fire. Empty cribs were outside the building.

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