By Ruby Gonzales
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
WEST COVINA, Calif. — A brush fire that broke out Tuesday on the West Covina/Walnut border left two firefighters injured, caused the evacuation of 24 homes and charred 5 acres.
About 190 firefighters from Los Angeles County and West Covina fire departments plus three water-dropping helicopters battled the second-alarm blaze, which at one point threatened hillside homes.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet, according to Los Angeles County fire Capt. Sam Padilla.
The fire started at 5:30 p.m. in a canyon in West Covina and crept up a hill toward homes in Walnut. It was knocked down at 6:17 p.m.
Firefighters were still at the scene by 8 p.m. doing mop-up. Padilla said the ground crews could be there all night.
Residents on Crystal Peak Circle in Walnut and Holiday Drive, Hideout Drive and Highlight Drive in West Covina were evacuated.
Larry Whithorn, assistant fire chief of the West Covina Fire Department, said two of their firefighters sustained minor to moderate injuries and were taken to Citrus Valley Medical Center — Queen of the Valley Campus.
“One appears to be heat exhaustion. One appears to be a back injury,” Whithorn said.
Because the blaze started in the West Covina area, West Covina fire will handle the investigation.
Whithorn said firefighters and personnel from the city’s five stations rolled to the incident.
“We depleted everyone on duty,” he said.
Daniel Barajas was among those evacuated from Crystal Peak Circle.
“I was leaving to pick up my son when my wife told me there was a fire coming up the hill,” Barajas said.
He said a neighbor’s son was also telling residents about the fire.
Barajas’ wife called 9-1-1 while he started hosing down his backyard. He said firefighters were there in probably five minutes.
Barajas said the flames were a good 10 to 15 feet from his yard.
One of his neighbors, Young Yun, said his son saw smoke, raised the alarm and called 9-1-1.
“I was napping in the master bedroom. I woke up because my son was yelling, ‘Fire! Fire!,”’ Yun said.
Another neighbor, Kenny Lin, smelled the smoke, went to his backyard and saw “very huge” flames about 40 feet away.
Yun said it was also very windy. He and Lin turned on the sprinklers and watered the yards.
“With the wind blowing into the house, it was very close,” Lin said. He also hosed down Barajas’ property.
They said this was the first time a fire broke out in their neighborhood.
Lin said county fire makes sure brush is cleared by residents.
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