A fire started by three twenty somethings has consumed over 1,700 acres of the Angeles National Forest northeast of Los Angeles and has moved near some residential areas, the Los Angeles Times reported. Two homes were destroyed and one individual was hospitalized for burn wounds. Approximately 700 fire fighters have battled the blaze that began this morning at 5:55 am PST.
Luckily for the area, fire houses were more alert than usual, given the "dry vegetation and summerlike weather conditions we've had," L.A. County fire Chief Daryl Osby told the LA Times.
Probability and the chance camp fire doomed the region this morning. Caught in an extreme period of dryness this winter -- already a season known for its arid conditions -- the area affected is known for some of the worst wildfires in the state's history, according to Fox.
The three men believed to be responsible were seen walking suspiciously near the fire's source. When questioned, they told police a paper caught aflame from a camp fire they'd started and led to the ensuing wildfire. Based on the LA Time's reports, the three individuals, one of them homeless, were guilty of starting a campfire in a restricted area, but likely didn't intend to cause the resulting 1,700 plus force. They're being held on $20,000 bail.
"This morning at about 6 a.m. it looked pretty terrible out there ... it was a very scary situation," he said.
Several school days were canceled, while firefighters knocked on doors, advising residents in nearby Glendora to evacuate.
"We're underneath a giant cloud of smoke," one resident told Fox. "It's throwing quite the eerie shadow over a lot of Glendora."
