PALMDALE : Fire Burns 150 Acres, Threatens Homes
About 250 firefighters battled a 150-acre fire west of Palmdale that threatened houses and injured one person, authorities said Monday.
The fire started about 6 p.m. Sunday when sparks from a welding torch a woman was using at her corral on Elizabeth Lake Road ignited nearby grass, said Battalion Chief Jerry Meehan of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Fanned by a 35-m.p.h. winds, the fire quickly spread through the hilly area to juniper trees “that burn like gasoline,” Meehan said. It came within 10 feet of four houses near Elizabeth Lake Road and headed toward houses being built on 25th Street in Palmdale. Three helicopters and two airplanes dropped water and fire retardant on the blaze while about 250 county and U.S. Forest Service firefighters fought the fire, said Inspector Mario De Fina of the County Fire Department. It was under control by 12:30 a.m. Monday. Fire crews monitored hot spots throughout the day.
A county jail inmate assigned to a firefighting crew that was clearing brush to prevent the fire’s spread suffered an asthma attack triggered by heavy smoke, Meehan said. He was taken by helicopter to Palmdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was treated and returned to custody, Meehan said.
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