Crews make progress against Danny fire in the Grapevine

Crews battling a fire near the Grapevine in Gorman have made progress, stopping the blaze’s forward progress, officials say.

The Danny fire prompted an evacuation order Thursday evening and closed a stretch of the 5 Freeway.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said in a statement shortly before 5 p.m. that its crews were responding to a 10-acre brush fire in Gorman.

Around 5:45 p.m., the department said the blaze, dubbed the Danny fire, had spurred an evacuation order for an area roughly bounded by Old Ridge Road to the east and Interstate 5 near Bald Mountain in the west. As of about 6:45 p.m., the fire had blackened about 140 acres and was 7% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“Gather family, pets, and LEAVE NOW,” the alert read. “Your safety is in danger if you stay.”

Evacuation warnings were issued for nearby areas including in the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon said the fire was threatening about 40 structures in the area where the evacuation order was issued.

Forward progress on the fire, now 13% contained, was stopped shortly after 7:10 p.m., according to a department statement.

There are no known injuries, Katon said.

The department deployed numerous fire engines, bulldozers, four helicopters, two air tankers and two “super scooper” aircrafts, Katon said.

Sgt. Christian Stevens, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol Southern Division, said that the 5 Freeway was shut down in both directions in the Grapevine, near Smokey Bear Road, from about 4:30 p.m. to around 6:30, at which point some lanes were reopened.

Stevens said the closures were necessary because smoke was affecting road visibility.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.