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 |  Los Angeles Times -
Nov-04-2009Diamond Bar wildfires are 65% contained, authorities say(topic overview)
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According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the fire broke out sometime in the last hour south of the 60 Freeway near Phillips Ranch Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard. It's unclear what caused the blaze, but officials said it was suspicious because there were several points of ignition. [1] An outbuilding was damaged by the fires, which broke out about 11:45 a.m. along the Los Angeles County-San Bernardino County border between Diamond Bar Boulevard and Phillips Ranch Road, and four people were treated for smoke inhalation, according to a county fire department spokesman.[2]
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles County fire officials say a malfunctioning catalytic converter on a vehicle is believed to have caused brush fires that threatened homes in the city of Diamond Bar.[3] DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP) - Brush fires that threatened neighborhoods in the eastern Los Angeles County city of Diamond Bar are being contained and school officials are preparing to dismiss students from a campus in the area.[4]
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. - A cluster of brush fires erupted along the fringes of suburban neighborhoods in eastern Los Angeles County on Tuesday.[5]
Associated Press - November 3, 2009 6:04 PM ET DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles County fire officials say a malfunctioning catalytic converter on a vehicle is believed to have caused[3]
"Things are looking good right now and the helicopters are still dropping," said Los Angeles County Fire spokesman Mark Savage. "They're challenged with multiple starts in multiple areas that they have to treat as separate incidents." He said the cause is still under investigation, but an Ontario police captain said the fires were sparked by an elderly couple whose catalytic converter caught fire as they drove on the 60 Freeway, sending a shower of sparks into dry brush on the side of the road. "There are no suspects, this is not an arson and this is not a crime," said Ontario police Capt.[6] Witnesses told The Times that the blazes were spread fairly evenly along the freeway, a busy east-west artery that links Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino County. "It looked like every 500 yards someone had taken a Molotov cocktail and thrown it off the freeway," said Retha Quince, who was driving home when she saw the smoke rising from the fires. Authorities said they were still investigating the cause of the blaze, but added that the catalytic converter appeared to have been shooting out "hot material," said Capt.[7]
A faulty catalytic converter on a pickup truck was blamed Tuesday for sparking a series of brush fires that broke out along the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar, threatening expensive hillside homes and forcing students to seek shelter in a gymnasium when their campus was clouded in smoke. At least eight fires were reported about 11:45 a.m. as the vehicle spewed out sparks and flames in the grass and brush-covered terrain next to the freeway, authorities said.[7] A pickup truck with an overheated catalytic converter may have started a series of fire along Highway 60 in Diamond Bar today. Ontario police stopped a white Ford F-150 that was reported to have sparks coming from its underside as it moved east through the area, KCAL reported. Catalytic converters, which help oxidize unburned hydrocarbons, can glow red-hot if they malfunction.[2]
CHINO HILLS ' Tuesday's wildfire that charged into the Chino Hills prompting evacuations in Diamond Bar was accidental. It was linked to a faulty catalytic converter on a pickup truck traveling along the Route 60 Pomona Freeway.[8]
A series of brush fires that broke out in the hills south of the 60 Freeway today are 85 percent contained and firefighters are still working to get a containment line around the full 50 acres, officials said. As 350 firefighters and four helicopters attacked the blazes that burned in the Chino Hills and Diamond Bar areas earlier, firefighters said they expected full containment by 6 p.m. Officials declined to give a new time for expected full containment.[9] A Chino Hills neighborhood became the site of a voluntary evacuation this afternoon as a Diamond Bar brush fire edged close to the San Bernardino County line. Chino Valley firefighters urged residents in the 2100 block of Scenic Ridge Drive to leave if they felt threatened by the fire, but the area was not under a mandatory evacuation, said Chino Valley Independent Fire District spokeswoman Massiel De Guevara.[10]
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP)- A cluster of brush fires believed ignited by a malfunctioning truck threatened suburban homes and swept past a high school before aircraft and firefighters quashed its spread Tuesday.[11] DIAMOND BAR -- A three-alarm brush fire broke out Tuesday morning near Diamond Ranch High School, charring 50 acres and injuring five people, including a firefighter.[12] Photo: A fire fighting aircraft makes a water drop near Diamond Ranch High School after a brush fire erupted along the Pomona / Diamond Bar border.[13] Around eight fires were reported near Diamond Ranch High School close to the border of Diamond Bar and Pomona at 11:45 a.m.[10] As many as eight fires broke out near Diamond Ranch High School this morning, threatening homes and forcing a partial closure of the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar.[14] A truck with mechanical problems on the 60 Freeway appears to be responsible for eight fires that came close to Diamond Ranch High School on the Pomona-Diamond Bar city limits Tuesday.[15]
Thirty calls flooded 911 dispatchers as the fire erupted along the 60 freeway in Diamond Bar near Phillips Ranch Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard. A plume of thick black smoke stretched into the sky as firefighters aggressively tackled the flames from the air and ground, trying to keep them from homes in a nearby hillside community.[16] The fire was reported to break out at 11:45 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on a slope on the south side of the 60 Freeway, a major highway in Diamond Bar area between Phillips Ranch Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard.[17]
A brush fire that appeared to have several start points was burning along the eastbound Pomona (60) Freeway in the Diamond Bar area, and at least one home was damaged, authorities said.[18] DIAMOND BAR, Calif. --A cluster of brush fires is threatening homes near the eastern Los Angeles suburb of Diamond Bar but there are no evacuations or injuries so far.[19] Firefighters backed by Super Scooper airplanes and helicopters have finally put multiple brush fires in Diamond Bar about 50 km east of downtown Los Angeles under control, and 2 people were detained for possible links with the blaze Tuesday afternoon.[20] Five to eight brush fires were reported around 11:45 PDT near State Route 60 in the Los Angeles suburb Diamond Bar. Wind direction seems to be favoring firefighting efforts in the fire-plagued state, and evacuations are voluntary at this point.[21]
The brush fire consumed at least 50 acres, said Maria Antuna, a spokeswoman with Los Angeles County Fire Department.[13] Los Angeles County fire officials reported the fire was mostly out by 2 p.m. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the fire has burned roughly 50 acres so far, and is traveling north at about 15 mph.[16]
About 300 firefighters, 2 Super Scooper fixed-wing airplanes and8 helicopters were called on the scene to launch an aerial and ground attack on the blaze, Los Angeles County Fire Department inspector Frederic Stowers said.[17] Four civilians suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation and a firefighter suffered heat stress but no structural damage was confirmed, said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Frederic Stowers.[22] Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Frederic Stowers said there were several spot fires reported along the eastbound Pomona (60) Freeway at 11:46 a.m.[12] Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Steve Zermeno says fire crews received reports around 11:45 a.m. that five to eight separate fires were burning near the 60 Freeway.[23]
'The driver was contacted and is being questioned by the Los Angeles County sheriff.' Massiel Deguevara of the Chino Hills Fire Department says the truck's hot exhaust started the fire in eight spots.[8] Assisting the Los Angeles County Fire Department were personnel from the Ontario and Chino fire departments, Stowers said.[2] Mark Savage of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The driver of the 2004 Ford pickup, who was followed by an off-duty police officer, was detained for questioning when he drove through Ontario. He was released Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. "It's more than likely that this was an accident, and no arrests will be made," said Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.[7] The driver of the truck was stopped by police but released after investigators determined the fire's cause was accidental, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.[22]
About 350 firefighters from Chino Valley, Los Angeles County and CalFire are battling the conflagrations, which were first reported at 11:45 a.m. near the corner of Diamond Ranch Road and Phillips Ranch Road.[6] Los Angeles County firefighters received reports of the blazes at 11:45 a.m. near the corner of Diamond Ranch Road and Phillips Ranch Road.[14]
Los Angeles County and Chino Valley firefighters stood by to protect structures in the neighborhood.[10] Fire crews from Los Angeles County, Chino and Ontario were battling a brush fire''Tuesday afternoon that was threatening homes''and may''have started in six to seven different locations.[23] Handcrews plan to work through the night to complete the containment line but several crews have been released. 'We'll keep some fire crews out there for fire watch this evening," said Los Angeles County Fire inspector Matt Levesque. "At this time, it's a matter of keeping an eye on it."[9] KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO is Southern California's most trusted and honored news radio station serving Los Angeles County / Orange County / Ventura County / Riverside County / San Bernardino County / San Diego County. 50,000 watt clear signal.[24] Dispatchers received nearly 30 calls about the sparks and flames, said Nicole Nishida, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.[15]
The last major blaze in the area burned more than 300 homes as it spread over 30,000 acres of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in November 2008.[22] Freeway traffic slowed to a crawl as smoke blanketed the area about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.[22]
Investigators said the blazes, collectively called the Diamond Fire, could have been caused by a catalytic converter that blew up as the truck traveled from Diamond Bar to Ontario on the eastbound freeway. [15] Here is the latest. Roughly 30 minutes ago, LALATE saw spiked readership of its 2008 Diamond Fire story. It is at that time, roughly 11:45 am PST, that Steve Zermeno, LAFD Inspector, said initial calls of fire outbreaks were hitting Diamond Bar. Now as of 12:30 am, reports say as many as five to eight separate distinct fires are burning, their locations all close to the 60 Freeway.[25] Firefighters have a brush fire along the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar 60 percent contained within two hours.[23] By about 2 p.m., the fire was almost out. '' A SigAlert was issued for the Diamond Bar Boulevard onramp to the eastbound 60 Freeway. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)[23]
The blazes encompass about 50 acres total and are burning along the 60 Freeway, near Diamond Bar High School and near several residential neighborhoods.[6] The fire did not destroy any homes but came very close to several upscale neighborhoods, forcing dozens of residents to seek refuge from the smoke indoors. Students at Diamond Bar High School were also kept inside the gym for hours until a roadblock was removed so parents could pick up their children.[9] Parents were just being allowed about 2 p.m. to pick up Diamond Bar High School students, who huddled in the campus gym while firefighters struggled to keep the spot fires under control.[6]
The 1,600 students at Diamond Ranch High School were safely sheltered in a gym as the fire swept by. They are now being dismissed.[3] Students at Diamond Ranch High School took shelter in the gymnasium and prepared to be evacuated if needed, but Pomona Unified School District officials said the campus was not threatened by the fire.[13] No danger?????? My brother goes to Diamond Ranch and they had them out in the field long enough for student to start coughing because of the smoke and to feel threatened enought by the proximity of the fire to push past school officials and run down the hill for parents to pick them up.[13]
As flames burned up the dry fuel, students at nearby Diamond Ranch High School took shelter in the gymnasium and prepared to be evacuated, officials said.[7] The fire burned near some homes and Diamond Ranch High School, county fire Inspector Frederic Stowers said.[2]
Hundreds of firefighters aided by aerial tankers and helicopters stopped the flames just short of the Diamond Ranch High School.[8] Flames licked just a few feet from the tennis courts at Diamond Ranch High School.[16]
A spokesman for the Pomona Unified School District said students at Diamond Ranch High School have sheltered in place in the school gymnasium.[12] Pomona Unified School District spokesman Tim McGillivray says students will be dismissed at 3 p.m. Tuesday from Diamond Ranch High School but afterschool activities have been canceled.[4]
Preliminary investigation showed the fire began in "six to eight locations" near Diamon Ranch High School and some homes. [17]
Eight spot fires that are burning in Chino Hills and Diamond Bar are 60 percent contained, fire officials said.[6] The fires, which started about 11:45 a.m., scorched 50 acres from Diamond Bar Boulevard to Reservoir Street.[15] The CHP issued a Sig Alert at 12:08 p.m., closing two lanes of the eastbound 60 Freeway east of Diamond Bar Boulevard, the Reservoir Street on-ramp and the Diamond Bar Boulevard on-ramp to the eastbound 60.[14]
Diamond Bar is a modern community, incorporated in 1989, with a population of about 58,000 spread over 15 square miles.[5] Sheriff's deputies ordered one evacuation on Gold Point Place in Diamond Bar.[15]
L.A. County Fire Department officials blame a faulty pickup truck with sparking the blaze, which burned about 50 acres. [7] The fire is estimated to be about 50 acres, fire officials said, and was mostly out by 2 p.m. Seven fires started almost simultaneously this morning about 11:45 a.m., fueling speculation early that the blaze was the work of an arsonist. Authorities later said they believe it was an overheated catalytic converter- a device on every modern vehicle which detoxifies exhaust before it exits the tailpipe.[16]
Hot debris and exhaust from a catalytic converter were to blame for touching off last November's Freeway Complex fire at the Green River exit off the 91 freeway. That fire burned more than 30,000 acres and destroyed nearly 200 homes.[16] A pickup truck shooting off hot sparks from a catalytic converter is believed to have set off a wildfire burning near the 60 freeway.[16] Stowers said a pickup truck's malfunctioning catalytic converter, part of the exhaust system, was the apparent cause. The device can spit out hot metal that would account for the multiple ignition points, he said.[22]
Local television channel reported that the fire might have been caused by a white Ford F-150 pickup. Its faulty catalytic converter shot off sparks underside along the highway and ignited the dry vegetation by the road. Other drivers made some 30 "911" calls to report the incident.[17] Investigators believe the fire may have been sparked by a truck's catalytic converter that caught fire.[12] The officer pulled the vehicle over''at Euclid and determined that the catalytic converter was on fire.[23]
Inspector Frederic Stowers says a malfunctioning catalytic converter can spit out hot metal shavings which would account for the multiple ignition points of the blaze late Tuesday morning.[3] "When the truck was stopped, the catalytic converter was gone. It either fell out or blew up. That was probably where the sparks came from," Ontario police Detective Jeff Higbee said.[15] The owner and another man were reportedly detained as people of interests, but not as suspects by local police. Catalytic converters, which help oxidize unburned hydrocarbons, can glow red-hot if they malfunction.[17]
Firefighters were sent to the south side of the freeway near Phillips Ranch Road about 11:45 a.m., said county fire Inspector Steve Zermeno. [18] A water dropping helicopter hits smoldering hills just south if the 60 freeway at Phillips Ranch Road.[16] Dozens of nervous parents waited on a smoky freeway overpass on Phillips Ranch Road, talking on cellphones or huddling with one other. For mother Laura Perez, 38, being unable to see her 15-year-old son, Cristian, was frustrating. He had called her from his cellphone earlier. "He sounded afraid," she said. "I wish I could be there for him."[7]
More than 250 firefighters and numerous aircraft battled what appeared to be eight fires that were reported around 11:45 a.m. in the hills south of the 60 Freeway between the 57 and 71 freeways. [13] The fire is believed to have been started by a pickup truck that caught fire while driving on the 60 Freeway.[9] An off-duty police officer spotted flames and sparks coming from the underside of a white, Ford F-150 truck on the 60 Freeway shortly after the blaze started.[23]
More than 300 firefighters, including engine companies and hand crews, responded to the blazes, which burned about 50 acres in the rolling hills near the intersection of the 60 and 57 freeways.[7] Traffic was also affected as the fire burned. Cars were backed up on the eastbound 60 to Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights at one point as three lanes were closed to assist firefighters as they battled the flames, CHP Officer Al Perez said.[15] Glen Kennedy, a West Covina resident witnessed the fire break out from a location near Golden Springs Drive and Willow Creek Road. "It caught on fire and the owner called and within four minutes those planes were dropping water on it," Kennedy said. "It was pretty impressive." Kennedy said he didn't know if any homes had caught fire. "The way it burned right there it was real dark, so it was burning hot," he said.[12] There are 23 fire engines on the scene and four helicopters are dropping water over the blaze, Antuna said.[13] The fire department also used two Super Scoopers, four helicopters and two water-dropping helicopters.[12]
Four helicopters are being used to dump water and flame retardant on the flames.[6]
The lanes were reopened about 4 p.m. The cause of the fires is still under investigation, but officials said it's likely the sparking truck started the flames.[15] The fires were about 65% contained by late afternoon, officials said. As crews conducted mop-up operations along the blackened hillside, fire officials said they were glad the weather was on their side. "We're just fortunate this was not a Santa Ana wind event," Savage said. "This just goes to show you we are not out of fire season.[7]
Four students were treated for smoke inhalation, and after-school activities were canceled, the officials said.[7] Four students were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation and one firefighter was treated for a heat-related injury.[6] Four students were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was transported for heat-related injuries, Savage said.[15]
Stowers said four people suffering from smoke inhalation and a firefighter who got overheated were taken to a hospital for observation.[12] Four smoke inhalation injuries have been reported, as well as one firefighter who was treated for heat exhaustion.[16]
Stowers says the 50-acre blaze is 60 percent contained but there's very little fire activity and firefighters are in the mop-up process. [3] Zermeno says the fires were burning in brushy hills and there are many homes and subdivisions in the area.[19] TV footage showed a large plume of smoke and several fires burning near the freeway. It's unclear whether there were evacuations.[1] Items in the bed of the truck caught fire and were seen flying out and landing on brush near the freeway.[15] The 57 and 60 freeways were jammed for miles around the fire, and commuters are being urged to find alternate routes.[16] The California Highway Patrol was dispatched to the reports of at least five spot fires. The first came at 11:45 this morning, reporting a '''small fire on the right shoulder of the eastbound 60 Freeway at the Northbound 57 Freeway.'''[13]
The SuperScoopers, which are twin-engine turboprop amphibious tankers that skim water from lakes, reservoirs and the ocean, are leased by the county during fire season. [22] County Fire Inspector Steve Zermeno said reports of five to eight separate fires near State Route 60 came in about 11:45.[5]
A spokesman for the Pomona Unified School District said students were sheltered in the school gymnasium during the approach of the fire.[15] The school's 1,600 students were kept safe in a gym as fire swept by the campus.[4]
Investigators say the pickup truck was emitting "burning debris" unbeknownst to the people inside. It is unclear whether charges will be filed in relation to the incident. [21]
SOURCES
1. Multiple fires threatening homes in Diamond Bar [Updated] | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times
2. UPDATE: Highway 60 fires possibly started by car with faulty smog device - PE.com - Daily News Digest
3. Catalytic converter may have caused SoCal fire - KION - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-
4. Southern California brush fires ease - KSWT: Local News, Weather, Sports Yuma, AZ El Centro Imperial Valley, CA |
5. Brush Fires Threatening Homes in California - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com
6. UPDATE: Chino Valley fires 60 percent contained - DailyBulletin.com
7. Diamond Bar wildfires are 65% contained, authorities say -- latimes.com
8. INT: Tankers, fire fighters overwhelm dangerous fire
9. Diamond Bar blazes are 85 percent contained - San Bernardino County Sun
10. UPDATE: Chino Hills neighborhood voluntarily evacuated due to Diamond Bar fire - San Bernardino County Sun
11. Firefighters conquer 50-acre Diamond Bar blaze - The Daily Breeze
12. Fire burns near Diamond Ranch High School in Diamond Bar - SGVTribune.com
13. Fires break out in Diamond Bar, threatening homes; 2 people detained [Updated] | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times
14. Fires reported in Diamond Bar - DailyBulletin.com
15. Sparking truck sets eight fires along 60 Freeway; one threatens Pomona high school campus - ContraCostaTimes.com
16. Fire reported near 60 freeway in Diamond Bar | - News - OCRegister.com
17. Brush fire in suburban Los Angeles contatined with 2 detained_English_Xinhua
18. Wildfire threatens homes near Diamond Bar | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun
19. Brushfires threatening SoCal homes - San Jose Mercury News
20. Brush fire in suburban Los Angeles contatined with 2 detained - People's Daily Online
21. Brush fires threatening LA suburb of Diamond Bar, no evacuations yet
22. Malfunctioning truck linked to SoCal brush fires - San Jose Mercury News
23. Police Say Truck's Catalytic Converter Started Fire Near Diamond Bar - cbs2.com
24. KNX - Catalytic Converter May Have Caused Fire Near Diamond Bar
25. Diamond Bar Fire!
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