La Tuna Fire

The La Tuna Fire was a wildfire that started on September 1, 2017, and burned 7,194 acres (2,911 ha) through the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles, California.[1] It led to the destruction of 5 homes and the evacuations of over 300 homes.[1][4][5] It was the largest wildfire in the city of Los Angeles in 50 years.[6]

La Tuna Fire
LocationLos Angeles, La Cañada Flintridge, Burbank, Glendale, California, United States
Coordinates34.22957°N 118.2674°W / 34.22957; -118.2674
Statistics[1][2] [3]
Date(s)September 1, 2017 (2017-09-01) – September 9, 2017 (2017-09-09)
Burned area7,194 acres (29 km2)
CauseUndetermined, not suspicious
Buildings destroyed
  • 5 single residences
  • 5 outbuildings
Non-fatal injuries10
Map
Location of fire in California.

Events

Reported in the mid-afternoon of Friday, September 1, on the 10800 block of West La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley, the La Tuna Fire immediately burned north towards Interstate 210, forcing its complete closure.[7] Fire activity was described as being erratic due to shifting winds which forced flames to jump both sides of the interstate as it began burning in four separate directions.[7][8] By evening time of that Friday, the fire was an estimated 2,000 acres in size with a mere 10 percent containment.[8]

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared it a local emergency and called on Governor Jerry Brown to declare a further state of emergency. On Saturday, September 2, the fire endangered homes in Burbank, Glendale and Sunland-Tujunga. It is reported as the largest fire ever inside Los Angeles city limits.[9][10][11]

There have been four injuries. On September 2, two firefighters suffered from heat related illness. On September 3, one firefighter was treated for heat related illness and another for minor burns. A volunteer was also evacuated for medical reasons.[2]

As of September 3, 1,061 firefighters were fighting the fire with 206 engines, 9 helicopters, 5 water tenders, and 4 dozers.[2][11][12] Three buildings have been destroyed and one damaged. Then rain helped the wildfire from Tropical Storm Lidia (2017).

On September 9, 2017, the LA Fire Department declared that the La Tuna Fire was 100% contained.[13]

The La Tuna Fire was the largest wildfire to break out in the city limits in the last 50 years. In response to the fire, the Los Angeles City Council began processes of creating best practices for residents to be prepared and to deal with large-scale emergencies.[6]

On October 26, 2017, the Los Angeles Fire Department's investigation into the origins of the La Tuna Fire ended with no cause determined. The report indicated that it was "not suspicious in nature."[14]

See also

References
  1. "#LaTunaFire Unified Command issued an Incident Update at 8:00 PM on September 5, 2017- Acreage Remains: 7,194- Containment Now: 80%pic.twitter.com/aojSw0eywy". @LAFD. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  2. "La Tuna Fire". Facebook. Los Angeles FD. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. "La Tuna Fire". Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  4. "Cooler Weather Helps Progress Against La Tuna Fire". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  5. Von Quednow, Cindy (September 2, 2017). "La Tuna Fire: Full List of Evacuations and Road Closures". KTLA. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  6. "The La Tuna fire has been beaten. Now an LA leader is concerned about mudslides". Daily News. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. Fonseca, Ryan (September 1, 2017). "La Tuna fire swells to 1,500 acres, threatens homes; 210 Freeway remains closed". LA Daily News. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  8. Lotto Persio, Sofia (September 1, 2017). "LOS ANGELES FIRE: HUNDREDS ORDERED TO EVACUATE AS LA TUNA FIRE ENGULFS 2,000 ACRES". Newsweek. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  9. LA Times reporters (September 2, 2017). "Wildfire torches more than 5,000 acres". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  10. Nguyen, Andy (September 2, 2017). "L.A. Mayor Garcetti declares emergency in 5,000-acre La Tuna Fire". Los Angeles Times. The Burbank Leader. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  11. VCS reporters (September 2, 2017). "Local cities send help as 'largest ever' fire menaces L.A". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  12. Ali, Safia (September 2, 2017). "La Tuna Fire in Los Angeles Grows to Thousands of Acres, 'Largest' Brush Fire in City History". NBC News. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  13. La Tuna fire 100 percent contained, LAFD says
  14. "The investigation into the massive La Tuna fire has been closed. The cause remains a mystery". Daily News. 2017-10-26. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
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