Wildfire near La Canada Flintridge out of control

Photo: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times 08/28/09 — Firefighters take a break from battling the wildfire in the hills above La Canada Flintridge.

A wildfire that sparked in the Angeles National Forest above La Canada Flintridge last Wednesday is now on the rampage threatening several foothill communities today. The fire went from about 5,500 acres overnight to more than 20,000 acres today. Firefighters are battling the flames in triple digit temperatures with very low humidity. At one point, those flames came dangerously close to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. More than 1,000 firefighters are on the scene.

Evacuations have been ordered in sections of Glendale, Altadena, Pasadena, La Crescenta, Big Tujunga Canyon as well as in La Canada Flintridge. Three people reportedly injured, but so far no homes have been lost.

UPDATE: 8:30 p.m.

Three homes damaged, along with several recreational cabins in the Big Tujunga Canyon area.

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Fronnie Lewis

Fronnie Lewis is the editor of mediacitygroove.com. She has an extensive background in newsgathering and writing, including more than two decades as a newswriter at KNBC-TV Los Angeles. She graduated from Stanford University, where she studied journalism and broadcast news.