Evacuation orders were lifted Saturday in the residential areas affected by the Saddleridge fire in the northern San Fernando Valley, where the intense battle to contain the blaze that grew to 7,965 acres by nighttime was aided by calmer winds that helped firefighters significantly slow its growth, officials said.
The wildfire that began Thursday was 41% contained by Sunday morning. On Saturday night, fire crews held the fire activity at bay enough to lift evacuation orders for more than 23,000 homes in the area.
“We still want them to remain vigilant as we are far from having a 100% containment on this fire,” Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott said.
Also Saturday night, the California Highway Patrol announced the cancellation of remaining fire-related road closures involving state routes and interstate freeways.
CLOSURE UPDATE FOR SADDLERIDGE FIRE: ALL INTERSTATES AND STATE ROUTES ARE NOW OPEN
— CHP PIO – LA County (@CHPsouthern) October 13, 2019
Wind conditions shifted toward a prevailing direction out of the southwest, as opposed to the dry northeast wind conditions that fueled the fire on Thursday and Friday, and firefighters brought the blaze under further control on Saturday.
The winds, however, were erratic and changing, Scott said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said. The lead investigative agency still needs to be determined as they are currently working with five different agencies, Scott said.
The initial response, however, was to about 1 acre of brush burning uphill near the westbound 210 Freeway in Sylmar, which is Los Angeles Fire Department territory.
Crews spent much of Saturday focusing on the Newhall Pass area in Placerita Canyon and Calgrove Boulevard, where it meets Interstate-5, said Chris Reade, L.A. County Fire Department spokesman.
“It’s going to be a few days before we can get ahead of it especially with the winds being what they are today compared to what they’ve been,” Reade said.
Helicopters using night vision worked with crews on the ground and fixed-wing aircraft that dropped fire retardant throughout the night Friday into Saturday, Reade said.
At least 18 residences were destroyed as of Saturday night.
“We have our damage assessment teams in the area and they are seeing if there are any additional homes that have burned in day one and we are still waiting to hear back from them,” Reade said Saturday.
About 54 Southern California Edison customers in Los Angeles County were still without power Saturday afternoon — a dramatic drop since Friday, when more than 20,000 customers in Southern California had none.
Local congressional representatives called on President Donald Trump and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor to prepare to declare a disaster declaration should Gov. Gavin Newsom request it.
“We know from past experiences of the destructive capacity of these fires so I urge you, Mr. President, to make sure that all precautionary measures have been taken to mitigate this disaster and that all federal resources are made to protect the people of Los Angeles,” said a letter from Reps. Tony Cárdenas, D-Panorama City; Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce; and Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks.
On Friday, Oct. 11, Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for Los Angeles and Riverside counties in response to the Saddleridge, Eagle, Reche, Wolf and Sandalwood fires.
Newsom also announced that California received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure resources were available to continue fighting the Saddleridge fire.
Hundreds of firefighters and law enforcement officers from agencies throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties gathered at a command center at the Hansen Dam Recreation Center before fanning out across the area around 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Among the first responders was Greg Stenmo, fuels technician with the National Forest Service, who worked with crews early Friday morning at 2 a.m. to help rescue several horses at the Oakridge Manufactured Home Community in Sylmar.
With residents in the area evacuated, Stenmo and the crew expanded a makeshift corral for the horses so they could move around within a 3-acre area.
“We had to untie them so they could run loose,” he said.
The horses were making a lot of noise and one of them was more interested in eating then fleeing, he said.
“I’m glad we were able to help,” Stenmo said. “We’re feeling great. A lot of hard work went on and it’s paying off. The one concern we have today is the wind, which has shifted, so we have to watch our fire lines.”
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