An early morning brush fire that broke out in the Kagel Canyon area above Sylmar today has charred more than 11,000 acres, and destroyed more than 30 structures. About 20 homes were lost near the Little Tujunga, Kagel Canyon and Lopez Canyon areas.
About 150,000 residents are believed to be affected by evacuation orders currently.
The #CreekFire was reported around 3:42 am in the area of Gold Creek and Little Tujunga roads according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department who is assisting the U.S. Forest Service and Los Angeles Fire Department in the battle.
The Foothill (210) Freeway has been closed in both directions while fire crews battle the blaze. Officials say they expect the freeway will remain closed in both directions until at least tomorrow morning. The closure is between the Golden State (5) Freeway and Sunland Blvd in the east. The interchange between the 118 Freeway and at the 210 Freeway has also been closed. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes to the south.
The Los Angeles Unified School District says Brainard Elementary School in the Lake View Terrace area is being evacuated with students being sent to North Hollywood High School.
So far, no injuries have been reported as part of the Creek Fire. Fire officials say "multiple structures" including homes, are being threatened. Reports from the scene indicate that at least one home has been damaged, but firefighters have told reporters that four or five other structures had caught fire.
Two evacuation centers near Sylmar have been opened: Sylmar Recreation Center at 13109 Borden Ave. in Sylmar, and Sunland Senior Center at 8640 Fenwick St. in Sunland have both been made available for residents who have been displaced by the blaze.
Sheriff's deputies and LAPD officers began evacuations in the 12300 block of Little Tujunga Road down to Foothill Blvd around 6 am this morning. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the Little Tujunga Canyon, Kagel Canyon, and Lopez Canyon according to the sheriff's department. The mandatory evacuations were later extended to areas north of the Foothill (210) Freeway from Glenoaks Blvd on the west to the border with the city of La Crescenta on the east.
Voluntary evacuations have been recommended in the general area of the fire including east of Veterans Park to Pacoima Canyon, as well as between Sayre and Polk streets north of the 210 Freeway.
Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar was closed today. Students at the Hubbard and Harding schools in Sylmar are being redirected to San Fernando High School located at 11133 O'Melveny Ave. in San Fernando.
Parents are being asked to take students directly to San Fernando High where classes are scheduled to take place. All other Sylmar-area schools are still open.
If you have animals that need to be evacuated, you can bring them to the following locations:
For large animals:
Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave.
For horses:
Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, 11127 Orcas Ave., in Sylmar;
For small animals:
West Valley Animal Shelter, 20655 Plummer St.;
East Valley Animal Shelter, 14409 Vanowen St.; and Sunland Park, 8651 Foothill Blvd, Sunland/Tujunga.
The following schools will be closed tomorrow according to the L.A.U.S.D.
-- Mount Gleason Middle School
-- Verdugo Hills High School
-- Apperson Street Elementary School
-- Mountain View Elementary School
-- Pinewood Elementary
-- Pinewood Early Education Center
-- Stonehurst Elementary
-- Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center
-- Logan Elementary
-- Heliotrope Elementary
-- Brainard Elementary
-- Mount Lukens Continuation High School
-- Plainview Elementary School
-- Plainview Early Education Center
-- Sunland Elementary.