2 fires north of LA persist after long fire week
AP
Mike Whitaker, left, and Andrew Fullingim watch smoke from a brush fire from Lake Hughes in Castaic, Calif., Friday, May 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Jonathan Pobre) MANDATORY CREDIT, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT
Mike Whitaker, left, and Andrew Fullingim watch smoke from a brush fire from Lake Hughes in Castaic, Calif., Friday, May 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Jonathan Pobre) MANDATORY CREDIT, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT
The Grand fire releases a large plume of smoke as it burns more than 3,000 acres of wildlands near Frazier Park on Wednesday, May 15, 2013.Cooler temperatures and lighter winds are helping hundreds of firefighters combat a 3,000-acre wildfire. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Luis Sinco) OUTS; ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, LA DAILY NEWS, VENTURA COUNTY STAR, INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN, LA OPINION), SOMETIMES: -CALON (LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM) NO FORNS, NO SALES, MAGS OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
A firefightier watches a backfire set in Hungry Valley State Park to halt the prgress of the Grand fire, which charred more than 3,000 acres of wildlands near Frazier Park on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Cooler temperatures and lighter winds are helping hundreds of firefighters combat a 3,000-acre wildfire. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Luis Sinco) OUTS; ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, LA DAILY NEWS, VENTURA COUNTY STAR, INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN, LA OPINION), SOMETIMES: -CALON (LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM) NO FORNS, NO SALES, MAGS OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
The Grand fire burns into the Los Padres National Forest near Gorman, Calif., where the blaze charred more than 3,000 acres of wild lands on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Cooler temperatures and lighter winds are helping hundreds of firefighters combat a 3,000-acre wildfire. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Luis Sinco) OUTS; ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, LA DAILY NEWS, VENTURA COUNTY STAR, INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN, LA OPINION), SOMETIMES: -CALON (LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM) NO FORNS, NO SALES, MAGS OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Smoke billows over a neighborhood in Castaic, Calif., as parents line up in their cars along to pick up students from a nearby elementary school, Friday, May 17, 2013. As firefighters took on a stubborn 3-day-old wildfire Friday in rough terrain north of Los Angeles, a second and more serious blaze broke out 30 miles away near Interstate 5, quickly surging to more than 500 acres, briefly threatening an elementary school and leading to the precautionary evacuation of nearly 20 homes. (AP Photo/Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Jonathan Pobre) MANDATORY CREDIT, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) ? A pair of persistent wildfires continued to burn in the hills and mountains around Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles on Saturday, although authorities were slowly getting the upper hand.
A new fire that broke out Friday, the third major blaze in the area in a week, quickly surged to 712 acres Friday and briefly threatened an elementary school and about 20 homes. Some 350 firefighters, who battled both flames and unpredictable winds, were able to hold the line against it Saturday morning, however. It was 75 percent contained.
Crews were helped by relatively mild temperatures that were expected to remain into the weekend, but challenged by the unpredictable winds and very difficult terrain.
With air and ground attacks, firefighters were able to douse the flames closest to Northlake Hills Elementary School and stop a looming threat.
The school had a large defensible space around it, so it was easy to protect, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Scott Miller said.
The campus was put on lockdown and buses were put on standby for a time in case hundreds of kindergarten through fifth-grade students needed to be evacuated.
After the flames were redirected, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Allen said the students were released to their parents without incident.
The fire was moving toward Castaic Lake.
The earlier fire that broke out Wednesday near Frazier Park was 70 percent contained Saturday after consuming some 4,358 acres.
That blaze was not threatening any homes or buildings but fire officials said containing it would be a long, difficult task because it was burning in such rugged and hard-to-reach terrain.
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