40-Acre Fire Closes Section of Highway
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A brush fire burned about 40 acres east of the Golden State Freeway on Saturday afternoon, forcing the partial closure of California 126 because of heavy smoke.
At least 200 firefighters and four water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze, which started about 1:45 p.m., said Battalion Chief Jack Ricci of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The fire, driven up a hillside by a slight wind, spread northeast before it was contained, about an hour and a half after it started.
No one was hurt and no structures damaged, firefighters said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Fire Department dispatch supervisor Tim Dixon. “We do not suspect arson at this time,” he said.
Smoke from the fire billowed over the eastbound side of California 126, California Highway Patrol Officer Matthew Hill said.
Authorities closed a 500-foot stretch of the road east of the Golden State Freeway until the smoke cleared about 4 p.m., Hill said.
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