Five Brush Fires Kindle Early Start To LA's Fire Season

LOS ANGELES, CA — A series of brush fires overnight heralded an early start to the wildfire season in Los Angeles County. Five wind-driven wildfires kept firefighters busy all night long.

The largest fire, a 60 acres of brush in the Castaic area Monday, was one of five overnight brushers in parts of Los Angeles County. Though the Southland's fire season traditionally flares up in the early fall, the region has been enduring almost year-round fire danger in recent years. This year, a dry winter gave way to a wet spring, watering grassland and and hillsides that continue to dryout during the long summer creating fire danger.

Monday's Castaic fire was reported at 3:44 a.m. in the 26900 block of Tapia Canyon Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The fire was affected by 15 mph winds, and firefighters on the ground and in three helicopters worked to douse the flames, which were still burning after daybreak.

No structures were threatened.

Other fires:

• Fire fighters tackled a brush fire that broke out at about 2:40 a.m. in Eagle Rock near 4701 North Townsend Ave. Crews got the blaze under control in about an hour, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire scorched about four-acres, the department reported.
• Around the same time, a brush fire broke out at the Sepulveda Basin in Lake Balboa Monday. First reported at about 2 a.m, the fire also scorched about four acres near 6049 North Woodley Ave. It was extinguished within about three hours, but some crews remained on scene dousing hot spots.
• A brush fire about 12:35 a.m in El Sereno scorched about an acre near 2608 North Eastern Ave. and was quickly extinguished.
• And about 9 p.m. Sunday, also in El Sereno, firefighters quickly extinguished a half-acre brush fire near 4500 N. Carter Drive.

The causes of the fires remained under investigation.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.