L.A. fire forces evacuation of homes, landmarks

Firefighters cite progress near Griffith Park after 'sad night for Los Angeles'



LOS ANGELES - Firefighters made progress early Wednesday against a wildfire blazing over Dante’s View in the brush-covered hills behind the city’s iconic Griffith Observatory. Animals at the nearby Los Angeles Zoo were moved indoors, and dozens of homes were evacuated.

The 600-acre blaze in sprawling Griffith Park was just one firefighters were battling across the nation. A wildfire in northern Minnesota has already destroyed 40 homes and buildings, and brush fires in Georgia and northern Florida have charred more than 200 square miles.

Overnight, five helicopters flew dangerous water-dropping missions in Los Angeles, helping fire crews get the blaze about 40 percent contained.

Griffith Park is a mix of wilderness, cultural sites, horse and hiking trails and recreational facilities set on more than 4,000 acres in the hills between Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley.

Visitors to its Greek Theatre, Observatory and the Museum of the American West were told to leave. At the Autry National Center, which includes a museum of Western artifacts, staff threw tarps over the collections to protect them in case the sprinkler system went off, said Faith Raiguel, chief operating officer.

'Animals are faring well'
The flames forced officials to put most of the Los Angeles Zoo’s 1,200 animals inside holding quarters.

“So far the animals are faring fine,” said Jason Jacobs, director of marketing and public relations for the zoo. “I haven’t heard any reports of anything going wrong.”

About 35 people who live near the park, out of an estimated 300 evacuated from nearby homes, checked in to an evacuation center at a high school.

“I was just able to get a few things,” said Ed Stephan, 83, who helped his wife into their car as ashes fell from the sky. “We’re not too worried but want to get out of here and observe the law.”

Authorities hoped residents would be able to return to their homes by evening.

The fire destroyed Dante’s View, a trailside terraced garden on Mount Hollywood, said City Councilman Tom LaBonge.

“This is a very sad night for Los Angeles,” he said.

Discarded cigarette?
Authorities were investigating whether the fire broke out after a person discarded a cigarette at one of the park’s golf courses, a law enforcement official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

The person tried to put out the fire but was badly burned and was taken to Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, the official said

The blaze erupted on the second day of a heat spell. The National Weather Service said downtown hit 97 degrees, 23 degrees above normal, tying the record for the date.

In 1933 the area was the site of one of nation’s worst wildland firefighting tragedies, a blaze that killed 25 firefighters.

Elsewhere in the region, a 300-acre fire near California State University at San Bernardino was 75 percent contained. There were no reports of damages or injuries.

In neighboring Orange County, a 140-acre fire in Featherly Regional Park and a 1,250-acre fire on a training range at Camp Pendleton were at least three-quarters contained