A brush fire burned through the foothills of Monrovia beginning just before noon Saturday, prompting a mandatory evacuation order and help from the Los Angeles Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service firefighters.
As the blaze grew from 10 acres to 170 acres in a matter of hours, voluntary evacuations became mandatory in the steep San Gabriel Mountain foothills as of 3 p.m., Monrovia Fire Department officials said.
About 200 homes were included in an order that affected homeowners on 20 streets. The city said in a tweet at about 7:30 p.m. that officials would discuss lifting the evacuation order in coming hours.
"We have old, dry brush out there. It's 55 years old, or as much as 100 years old. Combine that with inaccessible areas, this has been a topography and fuel-driven fire," said Monrovia spokeswoman Jennifer McLain.
Flames appeared to be approaching homes on Highland Place just before 5:30 p.m. The blaze had grown to 170 acres as of 6:40 p.m., according to the city.
The fire was first reported at 11:15 a.m. at 322 N. Madison Ave. (map). Smoke rising hundreds of feet into the air could be seen across the San Gabriel Valley.
Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan told NBC4 a gardener's power tool accidentally sparked the blaze, which was about 10 percent contained as of 5 p.m.
Firefighting airplanes, at least 125 firefighters, 65 fire engines, helicopters and ambulances were working to control the blaze, fire officials said.
One firefighter had a heat-related injury, according to the city's website.
The Los Angeles Fire Department sent five of their engines and a helicopter to help battle the flames.
Water-dropping helicopters gathered water from local reservoirs to drench the flaming hillsides.
Crowds were gathered at large events not far from the blaze -- including just 1 1/2 miles away at the Santa Anita Park horse racing track.
In the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles firefighters meanwhile battled a 4-acre grass fire, as seen at right, near Victory Boulevard and Haskell Avenue in Van Nuys -- near Woodley Park (map).
As a result of the Van Nuys blaze, all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway at Victory Boulevard were expected to be shut down for two hours, the California Highway Patrol said just before 4 p.m. The agency then reported the carpool lane and No. 1 lane were open as of 4:09 p.m.
In Monrovia, Donovan asked via the city’s Facebook page for a mandatory evacuation of homes on the following streets: Heather Heights, Alta Vista, Melrose, Magnolia, Hidden Valley, Mesa Circle, Sky Way, and Patrician Way.
The city updated the list just before 4:30 p.m. to include 10 additional streets: Crescent, El Nido, Highland from Foothill, Franklin, Scenic 400 and 500 blocks, Cloverleaf, Lotone, Hidden Valley, Ridgeside, Briar Cliff, Golden Hills, and everything west of Canyon Park north of Scenic.
Residents were directed to a shelter at the Monrovia Public Library at Myrtle and Palm avenues.
The Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA posted on Facebook that the organization was offering free boarding for evacuees' pets.
The Monrovia Police Department said on the Facebook page streets north of Foothill Boulevard were closed to through traffic from Lincoln Place to Myrtle Avenue.