Car crash sparks fire

Evacuations ordered in Lost Valley over 25-acre blaze

A 25-acre fire at Bouquet and Spunky canyon roads that started Thursday evening after a vehicle crash was knocked down in less than three hours, according to an official with the Angeles National Forest.

With the air resources available, helicopters and air tankers were able to strategically drop water on the hot spots and prevent the fire from increasing in acreage, he said. It was knocked down around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Evacuations were ordered for the Lost Valley area and were lifted at 8:32 p.m., said Nathan Judy, a spokesman with the Angeles National

Forest.

Two L.A. County Fire Department Air Operations Firehawk helicopters with two fly crews

were on scene assisting Angeles National Forest and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Angeles National Forest responded to the second-alarm fire with eight engines, one hand crew, and two water tenders.

Second-alarm resources were released around 8:18 p.m. Thursday, but crews with Angeles National Forest planned to remain on scene overnight to patrol the fire, Judy said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call at 5:52 p.m., said Fire Department spokesman Robert Diaz. It all started with a traffic collision that led to a vehicle fire, which then spread to a brush fire, said Phillip Barbosa, with the Fire Department.

Dan Watson/The Signal Fire investigators look for evidence around a burned-out car that started a 25-acre brush fire on Bouquet Canyon Road near Spunky Canyon Road on Thursday.

A fixed-wing tanker makes a drop of fire retardant on a 25-acre fire on Bouquet Canyon Road near Spunky Canyon Road on Thursday.