Units of the LAFD on scene responding to fire along La Tuna Canyon Road near Burbank, California on Sept. 1, 2017. Initially a one acre bush fire along the side the freeway in flamed up by increasing winds and jumped the 210 FY, the LAFD reported. More than 260 LAFD firefighters with additional resources from Assisting Agencies LACoFD, Verdugo Fire, Burbank Fire, Pasadena Fire, Glendale Fire and Angeles National Forest were fighting the fire growing to approximately 500 acres. Precautionary evacuations affected approximately 200 homes, no injuries were reported, LAFD said.

Harry Garvin / LAFD via EPA</s>Hundreds of firefighters fought for control over a 5,800-acre brush fire Saturday in the Verdugo Mountains north of downtown Los Angeles that forced the evacuations of hundreds of homes and shut down a nine-mile stretch of the 210 Freeway.

The La Tuna fire was believed to be one of the largest in L.A. city history in terms of sheer acreage, officials said. The blaze destroyed three homes in Tujunga, but no injuries were reported.

The fire, which shrouded the sky with plumes of white smoke, was only 10% contained late Saturday.

It broke out a day earlier, with shifting winds sending flames in multiple directions. Fire crews confronted the same erratic conditions on Saturday, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said.

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“Our biggest concern is the wind and weather,” Terrazas said. “The erratic weather is our No. 1 challenge. If there’s no wind, this is a relatively easy fire to put out. But when the wind changes, it changes our priorities because other properties become at risk.”

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local emergency Saturday night and asked Gov. Jerry Brown to do the same “so that state and federal assistance can be provided to the city as quickly as possible.”

“We are grateful for the men and women of LAFD, and all of our partner agencies, for their heroic efforts to bring the fire under control and to keep people and their homes safe,” Garcetti said.

Firefighters were hoping for some relief overnight from a heat wave that has gripped much of the state for days.

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1 / 42 LA County firefighter Kevin Sleight extinguishes hot spots while battling the La Tuna Canyon fire along Crestline Drive Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 42 A couple survey the damage as they walk near a cross that remains standing amid the scorched hillside that destroyed three homes and a shed. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 42 A home, cars and property lies in ruins as it was one of three homes and a shed were destroyed in the the La Tuna Canyon fire. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 42 A scorched hillside and car is revealed after the La Tuna Canyon fire moved through the hills near Crestline Drive. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 42 LA County firefighter Kevin Sleight extinguishes hot spots while battling the La Tuna Canyon fire along Crestline Drive. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 42 LA Fire Dept. arson investigators search for clues along La Tuna Canyon Rd. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 42 Helicopters continue to drop water on the LA Tuna fire burning in steep terrain in the hills above Burbank. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 42 A home destroyed by the LA Tuna fire on Verdugo Crestline Drive near the Sunland-Tujunga area. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles TImes) 9 / 42 A fountain and truck parked in front of a home and property lies in ruin as it was one of three homes and a shed were destroyed in the La Tuna Canyon fire. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 42 White smoke is visible above Burbank, CA from Olive Ave. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 42 A home and car destroyed by the LA Tuna fire on Verdugo Crestline Drive near the Sunland-Tujunga area. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles TImes) 12 / 42 Firefighters work hot spots on steep terrain in the hills above Sun Valley on Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 13 / 42 A L.A. County Fire helicopter does a water drop above Villa Cabrini Park in Burbank on Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 14 / 42 A number of deer are on the streets and hillsides in Burbank on Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 42 The La Tuna fire continues to burn above Glendale as the sun begins to rise Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 16 / 42 A homeowner uses a hose to water down his roof as the La Tuna fire threatens Sunland on Saturday. The house was spared from the fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 42 A helicopter drops water as the La Tuna fire approaches homes on Oro Vista Avenue in Sunland. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 42 A plane does a water drop on the La Tuna fire that crests into Sunland. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 42 Los Angeles City Fire Fighter Robert Hawkins disappears into the smoke while trying to save homes from the La Tuna fire at the end of Glenties Way in Sunland. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 42 Los Angeles County Fire Fighters hit hot spots of the La Tuna fire in Sunland. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 42 The La Tuna fire approaches homes on Oro Vista Avenue in Sunland. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 42 Firefighters work to contain the La Tuna fire near the 210 Freeway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 42 Scorched earth surrounds homes in the Verdugo Mountains above Burbank as crews battle the La Tuna fire. (Raul Roa / Burbank Leader) 24 / 42 Sunland resident Jeff Dalton sprays water near his home as flames from the La Tuna fire approach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 42 Residents watch the La Tuna fire raging in the Verdugo Mountains. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 42 Fire continues burn in the Verdugo Hills above Burbank early Saturday morning. (Raul Roa / Burbank Leader) 27 / 42 A stretch of the 210 Freeway is closed due to the La Tuna fire in the nearby Verdugo Mountains. (Raul Roa / Burbank Leader) 28 / 42 Gregory Lasavio evacuates the Glenwood Oaks community as the La Tuna fire rages. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 42 A firefighting aircraft makes a water drop on the La Tuna fire raging in the Verdugo Mountains. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 42 A DC-10 drops fire retardant on the La Tuna fire in Burbank. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 42 A helicopter approaches the Angeles National Golf Club to pick up water to battle the La Tuna fire in the Verdugo Mountains above Sunland-Tujunga. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 42 Brush burns along La Tuna Canyon Road. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 42 A firefighting helicopter makes its way toward the La Tuna fire in the Verdugo Mountains. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 42 Golfers at Angeles National Golf Club play while the La Tuna fire burns nearby in the Verdugo Mountains above Sunland-Tujunga. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 42 Flames from the La Tuna fire burn near La Tuna Canyon Road. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 42 The La Tuna Fire burns near La Tuna Canyon Road. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 42 Smoke from the La Tuna fire shrouds La Tuna Canyon Road. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 42 A flare-up consumes dry brush on a steep hillside on La Tuna Canyon Road. (Tim Berger / Glendale News Press) 39 / 42 Firefighters walk toward a trailhead to battle the La Tuna fire. (Tim Berger / Glendale News Press) 40 / 42 Los Angeles firefighters reposition hoses before moving their truck away from a flare-up on La Tuna Canyon Road in Sunland. (Tim Berger / Glendale News Press) 41 / 42 An LAFD helicopter drops water on a hillside to protect homes threatened by the La Tuna fire in the Verdugo Mountains in Tujunga. (Roger Wilson / Burbank Leader) 42 / 42 An LAFD “super-scooper” drops a tankful of water on a brush fire in the Verdugo Mountains in Tujunga. (Roger Wilson / Burbank Leader)

Winds were expected to die down Saturday night as temperatures dropped to the low 80s near the La Tuna fire area, according to the National Weather Service. Humidity was also expected to increase as monsoonal moisture from Tropical Storm Lidia moves into the region. The weather system could bring rain and thunderstorms.

The fire continued to burn on multiple fronts Saturday southwest of the 210 Freeway, which remained closed between the 2 Freeway and Wheatland Avenue. Firefighters encountered punishing heat, with Burbank recording a high of 101 degrees while the Tujunga area reported 96, forecasters said.

Approximately 730 homes were placed under evacuation in Glendale, Burbank and the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of Los Angeles, according to the city’s fire department.

One of those ordered to leave was Chris Hall, 37, who was spraying the roof of his Sunland home with a garden hose when two police officers pulled up to his driveway.

“Now it’s mandatory,” one of the officers told him. “Get your stuff and go.”

Hall said he wanted to stay but did not argue. He piled important documents and cherished belongings — including photos of his daughter’s birth, birthdays and visits to the zoo — into the trunk of his Nissan Sentra.

“Everything else can be replaced,” he said, sitting behind the wheel of his car.

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In Tujunga, music teacher Valerie Keith frantically loaded her pets in her car, along with her two best violins, spilling the yogurt she had taken for breakfast. Before she left, she remembered something, dashing back inside to grab a framed photograph of her mother and a banjo made from a tambourine.

“When you have to leave for safety, then you suddenly realize what’s important,” she said.

In Glendale, emergency officials announced mandatory evacuations in the Glenwood Oaks and Mountain Oaks neighborhoods. And in Burbank, police went door to door early Saturday urging residents to evacuate on hillside streets at the city’s northern end.

Those orders followed a series of other evacuations called the night before.

Andrea Heintz, 78, was getting ready for bed Friday night when she saw on the news of an evacuation around Brace Canyon in Burbank, where she lives. She arrived at the hastily assembled Red Cross shelter in Burbank around 11 p.m.

Cots were not set up until 1:30 a.m. Heintz and other evacuees passed the time chatting and watching TV — and stepping outside to look at the burning bright orange in the hills.

“It was really scary,” she said.

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In the distance appears to be 2 houses fully engulfed. @KTLA #LaTunaFire pic.twitter.com/MKdIUa3pf0 — Chris Gierowski (@tepall14) September 2, 2017

Officials warned of poor air quality throughout the region. Burbank police officers were wearing respiratory masks because of the heavy smoke. The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Saturday recommended that children, older adults and people with respiratory disease living in smoke-impacted areas stay indoors.

Amid Saturday’s high temperatures, “you already have an inversion layer holding a lot of ozone and pollutants close to the surface,” said AQMD spokesman Patrick Chandler. “Then you add the fire and all the particulate matter that comes from the ash and the smoke.”

Residents in smoke-heavy areas were also advised to avoid using swamp coolers or whole-house fans to avoid bringing additional smoke indoors.

Evacuation centers were opened at McCambridge Park Recreation Center in Burbank, Sunland Recreation Center in Sunland, and Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta. A large-animal evacuation center was set up at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center in Sylmar.

By mid-afternoon Saturday, more than 30 people had checked into the Burbank shelter. Some took naps to make up for the sleepless night.

Peter Glassberg, 64, brought in four of his cats and four rescue kittens that are up for adoption. Police transported the pets in carriers to animal control vans and drove them to the Burbank Animal Shelter, which is providing temporary shelter.

Glassberg said flames were 20 feet away from the road as he drove his beat-up SUV down the canyon and to the shelter. He arrived wearing faded jeans and a dusty cowboy hat, smelling like a campfire. He hadn’t slept in 32 hours.

Glassberg hugged his favorite cat, a Siamese named My Guy, before handing him over.

Another cat, Baby Girl, had escaped Glassberg’s trailer on La Tuna Canyon Road last week and had not come back before he was evacuated.

He watched when the fire started Friday afternoon and stayed up all night as it threatened to come down the hillside. He was packed and ready to go when the evacuation order came at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“I looked inside and I said, ‘No, it can go, it can go,’ ” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “It makes you face what’s important in your life.”

Times staff writer Ben Poston contributed to this report.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

david.zahniser@latimes.com

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UPDATES:

9:30 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with new information from fire officials.

4:20 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about the number of structures burned.

1:40 p.m.: This article was updated with more comments from evacuees.

1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about evacuations.

Noon: This article has been updated with more comments from officials and evacuees.

10:50 a.m.: This article was updated with new information from fire officials’ news conference.

9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with new information about evacuations and weather conditions.

This article was originally posted at 8:10 a.m.</s>High winds pose threat, officials say, after mayor claims victory in battle against biggest wildfire in city's history.

Los Angeles firefighters have "turned the corner" in their battle against the "largest [wildfire] in the history" of the city, according to the city's mayor, Eric Garcetti.

More than 90 percent of the 1,400 people evacuated from their homes since the blaze began on Friday have returned.

However, officials have warned that danger still remains, with high winds posing a continued threat.

Shifting wind patterns could yet cause the fire to spread, by blowing burning embers through the rugged northern edge of Los Angeles, said Garcetti.

"This is not over ... With winds this strong anything can happen," he said.

The 5,900-acre La Tuna Fire, named after the canyon in which it started, was considered 30 percent contained by late Sunday night, up from 10 percent on Sunday morning.

In response to the blaze, Jerry Brown, governor of California, declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles county on Sunday. The move is aimed at easing the provision of state and federal help to fight the fire.

Temperatures on Sunday were in the low 90s, down from hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in previous days.

Weather forecasts predict moderate weather and higher humidity in coming days, which are positive signs for containing the blaze, said Ralph Terrazas, the Los Angeles fire chief.

Wildfires in the western US have burned more than 7.1 million acres since the beginning of the year, about 50 percent more than during the same period in 2016, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.</s>Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for Los Angeles County due to the effects of the La Tuna Fire, which has burned thousands of acres, threatened homes and critical infrastructure and caused the evacuation of residents.

WHEREAS on September 1, 2017, the La Tuna Fire started in Los Angeles County and has rapidly burned thousands of acres of land and continues to burn; and 



 WHEREAS this fire is threatening thousands of homes and other structures, necessitating the evacuation of residents; and



 WHEREAS the fire is threatening critical infrastructure and has forced the closure of major highways and local roads; and 



 WHEREAS extreme weather conditions and high temperatures have further increased the risk of fires; and 



 WHEREAS a Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant has been requested and approved for the La Tuna Fire; and



 WHEREAS the circumstances of this fire by reason of its magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and 



 WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8558(b) of the Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exists in Los Angeles County due to the La Tuna Fire.



 NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Los Angeles County.



 I HEREBY ORDER that all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Also, all residents are to heed the advice of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety.



 I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Proclamation.



 IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 3rd day of September 2017.





 _____________________________

 EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

 Governor of California



 ATTEST:





 _____________________________

 ALEX PADILLA

 Secretary of State</s>The largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history is still burning Monday, with more than a thousand firefighters trying to control the flames. The La Tuna Fire has burned more than 7,000 acres in the Verdugo Mountains since Friday, destroyed homes and forced the governor to declare a state of emergency.

Even with temperatures dropping and the weather beginning to cooperate with emergency crews, the fire continues to grow, reports CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas.

"Visually you can see we've turned a corner, but this is not over with winds this strong, anything can still happen," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Over the weekend, the La Tuna Fire tore through thousands of acres – advancing towards the city of Los Angeles – and destroying at least three homes, including Linda Sherdel's.

"Within 15 minutes the house was overtaken. There's nothing standing. No walls. Everything is just ash," Sherdel said.

Craig Bollenson's family home in Sunland burned to the ground. He was able to save his father, carrying him by his wheelchair.

"We had 90 seconds," Bollenson said of how much time they had to get out.

Temperatures over the last few days have approached and broken the 100-degree mark – leaving people living near the fire line scrambling to save their homes any way they can

"We can handle everything, we have to. We don't have an option. We cannot fail. So we are continually planning, preparing, and training," said Los Angeles fire chief Ralph Terrazas.

With the unseasonably warm temperatures now moved out, highs are forecasted to hover in the mid to low 80's on Monday. It will give crews a better chance at containing the 7,000-acre fire. But winds could pick back up at any time, and that could threaten to expand the fire.</s>People have been evacuated in parts of Los Angeles after the "largest ever" wildfire hit the area.

The blaze had spread across nearly 6,000 acres by Saturday night as the "La Tuna Fire" continued to burn, devastating buildings in its path, including homes.

Around 800 firefighters were battling the inferno in fierce heat, with the city experiencing a week-long heatwave.

Aircraft were brought in to drop water on the flames in a bid to contain the spread of the fire.

More than 700 homes have been evacuated in Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles officials have warned remaining residents that they may need to leave at short notice.

"This is, by acreage, perhaps the largest fire we've ever experienced in the city of Los Angeles," Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Mr Garcetti declared a local emergency on Saturday evening and requested that the governor declare an emergency so the city can receive state and federal assistance.

There have been no deaths or firefighter injuries as a result of the fire, officials said.

The cause of the fire, which started on Friday, remains unknown.</s>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wildfire on the northern edge of Los Angeles rapidly grew on Saturday into what the mayor called the largest blaze in the city's history, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of people and the closure of a major highway.

The 5,000-acre (2,023-hectare) La Tuna Fire, named after the canyon area where it erupted on Friday, has led authorities to evacuate more than 700 homes in a north Los Angeles neighborhood and in nearby Burbank and Glendale, officials said.

Authorities warned of erratic winds that could force them to widen the evacuation zone, after the fire destroyed three houses in Los Angeles on Saturday.

"Other than that, no loss of any property," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference. "That is a pretty amazing thing."

The fire was only 10 percent contained with more than 500 firefighters battling it.

The blaze in thick brush that has not burned in decades was slowly creeping down a rugged hillside on Saturday toward houses, with temperatures in the area approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert.

"This fire, which broke out yesterday, we can now say is the largest fire in the history of L.A. city, in terms of its acreage," Garcetti told reporters.

On Saturday night, Garcetti declared an emergency, ordering "all available resources" deployed to protect residents and property.

"This declaration also requests that the Governor declare an emergency - so that state and federal assistance can be provided to the City as quickly as possible,” Garcetti said in a statement.

The fire could make air unhealthy to breathe in parts of Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city, and nearby suburbs, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said in an advisory.

Video posted online by media showed the fire burning along the 210 Freeway when it broke out on Friday, with smoke hovering over the roadway as cars passed by flames a few dozen feet away. Officials quickly closed a stretch of the freeway.

More than 400 miles (644 km) to the north, the so-called Ponderosa Fire has burned 3,880 acres, or about 1,570 hectares, and destroyed 32 homes in Butte County since it broke out on Tuesday. It prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders earlier this week to residents of some 500 homes.

California Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency declaration on Friday to free up additional resources to battle the Ponderosa blaze.

Wildfires in the U.S. West have burned more than 7.1 million acres (2.9 million hectares) since the beginning of the year, about 50 percent more than during the same time period in 2016, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.</s>Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County due to the effects of the ongoing La Tuna Fire burning near the Sunland-Tujunga area, his office said Sunday.The La Tuna Fire has burned nearly 5,900 acres, and fire officials said they expect the acreage to grow.As of Sunday morning, the acreage stood at 5,895 acres, according to fire officials at a morning press conference. At one point, the fire was estimated at 8,000 acres, but later Saturday night fire officials issued a revised estimate.Glendale and Sunland-Tujunga were under evacuation orders, and a new evacuation order was issued overnight in some areas in Burbank.Officials believe the La Tuna Fire is the largest blaze by acreage in Los Angeles city history.Brown's announcement said a Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant has been requested and approved due the fire's magnitude, which requires the "combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat."The declaration states the blaze is beyond the control of a single government and calls on state agencies to employ state personnel, equipment and facilities to help fight the La Tuna Fire.The announcement comes after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a declaration of emergency for the fire Saturday, calling on all the city's available resources to protect residents."The La Tuna Canyon Fire is an emergency that requires all available resources to protect our residents and keep our homes and other structures out of harm's way," Garcetti said. "We are grateful for the men and women of LAFD and all our partner agencies, for their heroic efforts to attempt to bring the fire under control and to keep people and their homes safe."Garcetti's declaration calls on all city departments to take all necessary steps to protect life and property in the area affected by the fire.The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has already authorized the use of federal funds to help firefighting efforts.FEMA provides Fire Management Assistance Grants which can fund up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs. Expenses covered by the grants can include expenses for equipment, materials, supplies and mobilization and demobilization efforts related to fighting the fire.The La Tuna Fire has burned two homes and one shed and has damaged a third home. The containment stood at 10 percent, fire officials said. Cal Fire officials said the fire was also threatening 220KV power-lines.More than 1,000 firefighters from multiple agencies were fighting the flames well into Sunday. Weather conditions were better, with temperatures slightly dropping throughout the Southland and chances of thunderstorms in many parts. Area winds, however, were expected to be the "biggest challenge" for firefighters.Southeast winds of 5-10 mph were fanning the flames on Saturday, sending embers to create new spot fires, said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott.He said the winds had shifted several times during the day, making the fire spread in multiple directions and increasing the challenges for firefighters."We've increased the number of firefighters on scene," Scott said in a Saturday night briefing. "We have a very active fire that is spreading in multiple directions. However, we do feel we do have the appropriate quantity and type of resources on scene."Two firefighters were treated for dehydration, but no other serious injuries were reported to firefighters or civilians.A helicopter also apparently went through some mechanical difficulties and made a precautionary landing at Verdugo Hills High School. No injuries were reported.The windswept blaze was burning in heavy hillside brush in the Sun Valley and Sunland-Tujunga areas, and then moved over the hills toward Burbank late Friday night.Firefighters moved into structure defense mode to protect homes as residents were advised to evacuate immediately.A smoke advisory was issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for the San Gabriel Valley to the San Fernando Valley and Glendale as plumes billowed into the air. Residents were urged to limit outdoor activities.Firefighters initially feared the flames would reach homes by midnight Friday. But the structure-protection efforts were able to hold off the flames until Saturday morning, when one home was lost near Verdugo Crestline Drive and Alene Drive in Sunland-Tujunga, officials said. Two other structures in that neighborhood were later destroyed.Firefighters took the unusual step of keeping their water-dropping helicopters in the air at night, outfitting crew members with night-vision goggles. Officials said those goggles were purchased with funds donated to an LAFD foundation.About 730 homes were evacuated on Saturday: 300 in Burbank, 250 in Glendale and 180 in Los Angeles, LAFD said.In other nearby neighborhoods, nervous residents packed up essentials but stayed near their homes and watched the flames with a mix of fascination and dread."It's actually really scary because we've never had a fire this close to us," said Tujunga resident Jessica Fernstrom.The blaze was first reported Friday around 1:30 p.m. in Sun Valley. Firefighters initially thought they had a good handle on the blaze. It only burned about a quarter acre of brush as it moved uphill."It was actually traveling in a northern direction (and) hopped the freeway, and we were initially worried about the homes on the northern side," said LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman."But then we had that storm cell come through. We had a little bit of rain, and that was enough to push the fire in a totally different direction," the captain said. "It started traveling south toward the Burbank city limits."The flames and smoke did not immediately affect flights out of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.Los Angeles city and county agencies used water-dropping helicopters and Super Scoopers to help fight the flames from the air.The cause of the fire was unknown.</s>Over 1,000 firefighters are battling a brush fire in Sunland and Sun Valley that is being described as the largest fire in recorded history to strike Los Angeles.

KPCC reports that two firefighters were taken to the hospital for dehydration after fighting the blaze on Saturday, and more than 5,800 acres had been burned by 10 a.m. Sunday.

According to the Orange County Register, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Sunday morning at the urging of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said the force now battling the blaze, known as the “La Tuna Fire,” consists of “1,061 firefighters from the region and throughout the state, 206 fire engines, 9 helicopters, 12 handcrew and 9 ambulances,” according to the Register. He said the weather is the “number one concern,” but the forecast for this week currently looks favorable for firefighting.

Evacations, both mandatory and voluntary, are occurring throughout the eastern San Fernando Valley area. Glendale officials are asking pet owners to bring their animals to Crescenta Valley High School. They are asking that larger animals be taken to Hansem Dam.

According to the Register, Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser said, “It is difficult to tell where ash or soot from a fire will go, or how winds will affect the level of dust particles in the air, so we ask all individuals to be aware of their immediate environment and to take actions to safeguard their health.”

Remarkably, despite the size of the fire, there has been little property damage and few injuries thus far.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.</s>A historic brush fire ravaged almost 5,900 acres of land in California as over 1,000 firefighters continued to push back the flames, KABC, a Los Angeles-based ABC affiliate reports Sunday morning.

A historic brush fire ravaged almost 5,900 acres of land in California as over 1,000 firefighters continued to push back the flames, KABC, a Los Angeles-based ABC affiliate reports Sunday morning.

The fire, which erupted Friday, had forced the evacuation of more than 700 homes in the Los Angeles suburbs of Burbank, Glendale and Sunland-Tujunga. Evacuees from Burbank started to trickle back to their homes on Saturday.

As of Sunday morning, the Castleman Estates area was added to the list, per NBC Southern California.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

The blaze is 10 percent contained and there have been no injuries reported. The flames have destroyed three structures, however, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a declaration of local emergency on Saturday instructing all city agencies to “take all necessary steps to protect life and property in the area.”

It is the largest fire, by acreage, that the city of L.A. has ever seen, LAFD chief Ralph Terrazas said at a press conference Saturday, per CNN.

The fire, dubbed the La Tuna Fire, started in West La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley Friday afternoon, reports the Los Angeles Times. It started as a small brush fire sparked by a triple digit heat wave and quickly spread due to shifting winds.

Fire officials say that heat and uncertain winds are still their biggest obstacles.

“Our biggest concern is the wind and weather,” Terrazas said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “The erratic weather is our No. 1 challenge. If there’s no wind, this is a relatively easy fire to put out. But when the wind changes, it changes our priorities because other properties become at risk.”

Several aircrafts have been dropping water and fire retardant on hot spots. As of Sunday morning, about 800 firefighters are working to control the blaze.

The LAFD began working on the fire with reduced resources as well. At least 100 fire fighters were deployed to Houston, Texas, to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, Terrazas said at the press conference. But as of Saturday they were headed back to Los Angeles.

This is a developing and HuffPost will update it accordingly.
The La Tuna Fire continues to burn in Los Angeles, California, becoming the largest fire in the city's history at around 5,800 acres. Mayor Eric Garcetti declares a state of emergency.