A fire burning in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa has grown to about 120 acres and is currently, 0% contained, Angeles National Forest officials said Thursday afternoon.
Currently, no structures are threatened.
“This evacuation is not in a developed residential area but it's in some of the recreation areas in the forest,'' Marc Peebles of the Angeles National Forest told a CBS2 reporter at the scene late this afternoon. “Essentially the evacuation area is on Highway 39, north here of Old San Gabriel Canyon Road.
“The Crystal Lake recreation area has been evacuated, the West Fork and East Fork recreation area has been evacuated, and it's mainly visitors recreating in the forest,'' he said. “There's some ... special use cabins up there, as well at the Coldbrook Campground and the San Gabriel off-highway vehicle staging area.''
As of 4 p.m., the fire was 0% contained.
Around 4:00 p.m., authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for all residents north of Morris Dam to Crystal Lake due to the fire. Residents are being told to use East Fork to Glendora Mountain Road.
The fire near the 9500 block of North San Gabriel Canyon Road, also known as Highway 39, is currently closed while personnel with the Angeles National Forest and Los Angeles County Fire Department battle the blaze.
About 250 Angeles National Forest firefighters and about 100 Los Angeles County firefighters were battling the blaze on the ground, with more than a dozen aircraft also working to quell the flames.
VIVA Rescue, which specializes in rescuing horses, offered in a Twitter post to help evacuate animals -- “equines, livestock and domestic pets'' -- from the forest. Anyone who needs the nonprofit's help was encouraged to send a text to 310-808-5943.
This is a breaking news story, more details will be added as they become available.
Photo: Caltrans District 7