Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Catalina Island Fires
Firefighters from throughout the region battled a raging blaze on Santa Catalina Island on Sunday, using boats, helicopters and several hovercraft in an unusual mission to ferry crews and supplies to the popular Channel Islands retreat.
The Catalina fire was one of at least eight fires that burned throughout Southern California over the weekend, consuming several thousand acres of dry brush by late Sunday and keeping firefighters busy under sweltering temperatures.
"It's one of those days where fire departments can be stretched to their very limits," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Ballton.
To battle the Catalina Island blaze, at least four hovercraft were deployed from Camp Pendleton to carry fire engines across the water to the island. The fires smoldered west of the Catalina airport, which was shut down Sunday, and east of an area known as Two Harbors, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.
Sparked by multiple lightning strikes Saturday morning, the Catalina fire had charred nearly 800 acres of the 76-square-mile island by early Sunday evening. Despite rugged terrain and sizzling high ambient temperatures, firefighters had contained 35% of the blaze. Authorities predicted full containment by Tuesday.
More than 200 firefighters were dispatched to contain the fire, drawn from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, as well as from Orange County and the cities of Los Angeles and Avalon, which lies on the southeast tip of the island.
"This doesn't happen that often," said Fire Inspector Ron Haralson of the L.A. County Fire Department.
Firefighters were able to mount a coordinated response to the island fire thanks to emergency planning that included an arrangement with the Marine Corps to borrow hovercraft when needed, he said.
A few residents were evacuated Saturday night but they were allowed to return to their homes once the firefighting effort had been fully launched, Haralson said.
Business went largely uninterrupted at the other end of the island.
"This is a really busy time of the year; people are still coming," said Clare Roberts, who takes reservations at the Snug Harbor Inn in Avalon. "The fire is a long, long way away from us. You can't smell or see anything."
LA Times
Firefighters from throughout the region battled a raging blaze on Santa Catalina Island on Sunday, using boats, helicopters and several hovercraft in an unusual mission to ferry crews and supplies to the popular Channel Islands retreat.
The Catalina fire was one of at least eight fires that burned throughout Southern California over the weekend, consuming several thousand acres of dry brush by late Sunday and keeping firefighters busy under sweltering temperatures.
"It's one of those days where fire departments can be stretched to their very limits," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Ballton.
To battle the Catalina Island blaze, at least four hovercraft were deployed from Camp Pendleton to carry fire engines across the water to the island. The fires smoldered west of the Catalina airport, which was shut down Sunday, and east of an area known as Two Harbors, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.
Sparked by multiple lightning strikes Saturday morning, the Catalina fire had charred nearly 800 acres of the 76-square-mile island by early Sunday evening. Despite rugged terrain and sizzling high ambient temperatures, firefighters had contained 35% of the blaze. Authorities predicted full containment by Tuesday.
More than 200 firefighters were dispatched to contain the fire, drawn from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, as well as from Orange County and the cities of Los Angeles and Avalon, which lies on the southeast tip of the island.
"This doesn't happen that often," said Fire Inspector Ron Haralson of the L.A. County Fire Department.
Firefighters were able to mount a coordinated response to the island fire thanks to emergency planning that included an arrangement with the Marine Corps to borrow hovercraft when needed, he said.
A few residents were evacuated Saturday night but they were allowed to return to their homes once the firefighting effort had been fully launched, Haralson said.
Business went largely uninterrupted at the other end of the island.
"This is a really busy time of the year; people are still coming," said Clare Roberts, who takes reservations at the Snug Harbor Inn in Avalon. "The fire is a long, long way away from us. You can't smell or see anything."
LA Times