Blaze Near Pyramid Lake Fully Contained
A plane drops a firefighter chemical on a blaze near Pyramid Lake.
Firefighters Wednesday fully contained a brush fire that scorched 304 acres of brush along steep terrain in the Angeles National Forest near Pyramid Lake.
The Osito fire, was declared fully contained at 7:10 a.m., said Dee Dechert of the Angeles National Forest.
Firefighters were sent to the rugged, unpopulated area near the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway and Vista del Lago about 12:15 p.m. Monday amid temperatures of about 100 degrees.
Other than one firefighter suffering a bee sting, there were no injuries and no structures threatened or destroyed, Dechert said, adding that power lines in the area were not damaged as initially thought.
Six planes assisting in the firefighting efforts were sent back to their base in the early evening Monday because the worst part of the blaze was under control, Lugo said. Two helicopters were assigned to the operation. About 500 firefighters were assigned to battle the fire at its worst, she added.
Two lanes of the freeway's northbound lanes over the Tehachapi Mountains were closed to accommodate the firefighting effort, causing a miles-long backup for those crossing the Grapevine. They remained closed Tuesday morning.
The fire was originally listed at 400 acres, but its size was downgraded after precise mapping was conducted, a fire official said. About 400 personnel were assigned to the firefighting effort, the USFS reported. What sparked the blaze was not immediately determined.
