Homes burn in La Habra Heights as crews begin to get a handle on Palos fire
A brush fire that broke out Monday afternoon in the hills around La Habra Heights has affected multiple homes, with at least one destroyed, flames leaping from another and more under threat, according to authorities.
But crews have managed to stop forward progress on the Palos fire, the L.A. County Fire Department said on social media shortly after 4:45 p.m.
The fire began just after 2:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Las Palomas Drive in Whittier, according to the department.
Evacuation warnings were issued in the area as the Palos fire grew to encompass 20 acres by about 4:15 p.m., according to Fire Department spokesperson Keith Navarre.
Edith Lai, a spokesperson for the Fire Department, had told The Times shortly after 4:30 p.m. that three homes had been affected by the fire, though the exact level of impact was unclear.
Footage of the fire broadcast on local news Monday afternoon showed one structure — which authorities said was a home — engulfed in flames. Another structure, identified by TV station KTLA as a second home, also was seen burning.
A helitanker drops water on the Palos fire burning in La Habra Heights on Monday.
(KTLA-TV)
No injuries have been reported in the fire, although one horse was rescued, authorities said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Navarre said the department had allocated 76 units and 250 personnel to the fire.
The firefight included helitankers, which were dropping water on the blaze, Lai said.
The fire broke out in a canyon and had been moving up the hillsides, Navarre said. Some firefighters hiked down into the canyon to contain the flames, while others were focused on defending the homes along an adjacent ridgeline, Navarre said. The closest street name was not immediately available.
La Habra Heights’ narrow roads, he said, have made firefighting access difficult.
The area covered by the evacuation warning can be found here.
It is roughly bounded by Puenta del Este Drive and Hacienda Road on the east; Casalero Drive, Lupin Hill Road and Las Palomas Drive on the west; Windrush and Gun Tree drives to the north; and Encanada Drive to the south.
It includes a portion of the Puente Hills Preserve as well as the Hsi Lai Temple to the east and some businesses at Colima Road and South Hacienda Boulevard.
