CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. (KNX) — More than 100 Los Angeles County firefighters will remain overnight on Santa Catalina Island to monitor and mop up the 17-acre “Middle Fire” that ignited Thursday, fire officials said.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. on the backside of the island, far from any structures or inhabited areas and was knocked down around three hours later at 4:13 p.m, according to Henry Narvaez, a public information officer with L.A.County Fire.
Narvaez said dry vegetation in the area, along with continued high temperatures and the potential for winds, is why 125 firefighters will continue working until Friday morning - establishing water lines around the burn scar and checking for smoldering particles.
The situation on the island is something the department prepares and practices for, Narvaez said, since there are few crews and no heavy equipment on the island.
“It’s something we routinely practice for. We have a playbook and that’s what they followed today,” he said, adding that the playbook includes shuttling some firefighters to the island from Rancho Palos Verdes and sending others with the heavy equipment — like fire engines, out of Long Beach on the Catalina Express.
The Middle Fire burned near Mount Orizaba, not far from the Black Jack Campground — where the few roads available are primarily for maintenance or hiking, not big fire engines.
Narvaez credited a quick aerial assault from five air crews who “bombarded the fire with water,” with helping on-the-ground personnel establish control of the brush fire.
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