Crews were attacking a wind-driven brush fire in the San Fernando Valley foothills Monday afternoon that burned 200 acres, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The blaze was reported about 2:20 p.m. in the 11000 block of Wheatland Avenue, just north of the 210 Freeway in the Lake View Terrace area, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The fire, pushed uphill by 5 to 7 mph winds, was estimated to have blackened about five acres of light to medium brush in the early stages of the blaze, fire officials said.
By the afternoon, winds coming from the south were gusting at 19 mph, and the fire had consumed about 200 acres.
By 6 p.m., the fire was 35 percent contained. It was expected to be fully contained by Tuesday, officials said.
Crews were taking an aggressive stance as parts of California face a heightened risk of fire this summer.
Climate change has left the state’s winters drier and springs warmer, and it is beginning the fifth year of a drought so harsh that it has killed more than 29 million trees. The severe weather is even threatening the iconic giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
