At just after 1pm today, a fire ignited in the hills above Burbank, threatening the famed Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles landmark since the 1920's. The sign, visible from all parts of the L.A. basin sits at the top of Mt. Lee, in the Hollywood Hills.
By 2pm Los Angeles County arson investigators were seen questioning a maintenance worker from the Oakwood Apartments on Barham Blvd. regarding the origin of the fire. According to witnesses at the Oakwood, maintenance workers at the apartment were seen attempting to extinguish a small fire in the north parking lot of the large complex.
Estimates of the size of the area involved in the fire, as of 2:30pm, were between 50 and 100 acres.
Temperatures in the Burbank area today reached the low 80's with humidity levels below 15 percent. An afternoon onshore weather flow was hoped to bring relief to fire crews in the hills, as the flow typically brings heavy, moist air in from the Pacific Ocean most afternoons.
Travis Caldwell, a resident of the Oakwood Apartments and a witness to the initial attempts of Oakwood maintenance workers to put out the fire, said that two minors were involved in the discharging of fireworks in near-proximity to the north parking lot of the apartments.
At the time of this writing, Sheriff's investigators were seen questioning these two possible persons of interest.
No names of any who might have been involved have been released as yet.
Copyright © 2007 Bill Friday
