Los Angeles brush fire injures 1, shuts down Metro line
A brush fire that broke out in the San Fernando Valley Wednesday afternoon injured one person, caused a shutdown of an LA Metro line and encroached on structures before forward progress was stopped.
The Balboa Fire was first reported around 12:20 p.m. near the Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex on the 6400 block of North Balboa Blvd. in Van Nuys.
According to the Watch Duty app, the fire initially had burned about 1.5 acres and was spreading to the north with a potential threat to structures.
Multiple palm trees were involved in the blaze, which Watch Duty reporter Grant Miles said was being driven by the topography of the area. A full brush fire response was requested by the Los Angeles Fire Department, which was providing water drops and working to establish a hose line around the fire on the ground.
By around 12:55 p.m., forward progress had been stopped with structure protection in place. The fire had scorched more than four acres by the time firefights stopped its momentum.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the structure of most concern was for the Army Recruiting Battalion nearby. The structure itself was protected, but vehicles in the parking lot were still at risk of igniting, officials said.
The Metro G Line, the dedicated bus rapid transit line previously known as the Orange Line, is currently shut down due to the fire. The closure is in place from Woodley to White Oaks avenues, LAFD said.
One person, a civilian, suffered burn injuries and was being treated by paramedics at the scene. The severity of their injuries is unclear at this time.
The brush fire comes as much of Los Angeles County, including the entirety of the San Fernando Valley, is under a heat advisory from the National Weather Service.
Check back for details on this developing story.
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