Wildfire rages on in LA, aerial assault begins

Los Angeles, Jul 31: As the wildfire raged on in northern Los Angeles County, the firefighting operations have been stepped up.

The firefighters have launched an aerial assault to douse the Crown fire that has been raging on since Thursday, Jul 29.

As many as 1,700 fighters equipped with five water-dropping helicopters and a DC-10 aircraft have brought down the fire to 20 per cent containment.

The operations were marred by breezy winds and high temperatures.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD), the fire has damaged several structures, including a family home, two garages, a building and a hay barn as of Friday, Jul 30.

Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited the site on Friday, Jul 30 afternoon, assured the people, “Even though we have a budget crunch, everyone should be assured that we have money available for fighting these fires. Public safety is our number 1 priority."

The fire has forced evacuation of 300 homes.

OneIndia News