Five Hikers Rescued From Burning Calif. Hillside

June 23, 2014
All are in good condition.

June 23-- A growing brush fire is burning near Brand Park in Glendale, and firefighters have rescued five hiked trapped in the hills above.

The fire, reported at 10-acres shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, grew to 50-acres, said Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Bill Lynch. Three hikers were airlifted out of the fire line, he said. The other two were rescued several hours later, but all are in good condition, said authorities.

Firefighters believe they will have the fire fully contained Monday morning.

Numerous agencies are on scene to battle the blaze, including firefighters from Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Los Angeles city as well as Los Angeles County Fire. No structures have been damaged, and no firefighters or hikers have been injured, Lynch said.

Officials said they currently do not have information on the identity of the hikers, nor the cause.

Cindy Cassidy, 43, lives about two miles south of the fire. She was at Brand Park, leaning against the stone wall at the entrance with her 9-year-old son, Cameron. They had been watching the fire for about two hours.

"I feel comfortable with their response," she said about authorities at the scene.

Cassidy drove Cameron to Brand Park to watch the fire and crews tackle the blaze.

"He's afraid of fires. His legs were shaking and he told me, 'Don't park here' and 'Don't park too close," she recalled. "He thought the fire was going to sweep the area."

But that fear seems to have waned as Cameron focused his eyes on the smoke lifting from the canyon.

"It's interesting, how it moves," he said about the smoke and pockets of flames.

Los Angeles Times reporter Alicia Banks contributed to this report.

Dan Evans, [email protected]

Follow on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans.

Copyright 2014 - Glendale News-Press, Calif.

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