LAKE HUGHES (CNS) - Containment of the Lake Fire is at 70% this morning and all evacuees have been allowed to return home.
Evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday morning for all remaining evacuees. Residents were able to return home to houses east of Old Ridge Route, west of Kings Canyon Road, north of Pine Canyon Road and south of Highway 138 and California Aqueduct, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Residents on Kings Canyon Road east to Shafer Road were allowed to return home Monday morning. Residents of Pine and Kings canyons, whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Lake Fire, were escorted back into the area Saturday and Sunday, authorities said.
The 31,089-acre fire has destroyed 12 structures and 21 outbuildings and damaged six other structures, but the expected date of full containment was extended by 10 days to Sept. 12, according to the Forest Service.
Some 1,305 firefighters were still battling the fire Tuesday, and by evening the number was decreased to 1,278.
Four firefighters were injured battling the blaze as of Tuesday evening, but details were not released.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, Lake Hughes Road was reopened from Ridge Route Road to Deeswood Drive, along with San Francisquito Canyon/Dry Gulch roads to Lake Hughes Road. However, upper and lower Lake Castaic, along with all Lake Castaic Recreation Areas, will remain closed to support fire operations at the Incident Command Post.
The fire was first reported about 3:30 p.m. Aug. 12 near North Lake Hughes Road and Pine Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest, according to the Forest Service, which was battling the blaze with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and assistance from other agencies.
“There have been areas of this fire that have not burned in decades, (and) it's in inaccessible terrain, which has added to the complexity of the fire,'' Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said at that time.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol were also involved in the firefight.
Castaic Lake remained closed to public access until further notice. Fire personnel were using the lake and surrounding areas as a base camp.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency last week to help ensure resources to combat multiple fires burning across the state.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
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