By Gillian Flaccus
The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A wildfire that damaged a home and forced 1,200 residents to evacuate the hills southeast of Los Angeles has been contained, firefighters said Tuesday.
Investigators believe the 2,036-acre brush fire in Anaheim Hills ignited Sunday after someone set ablaze a stolen Honda Civic. Hot, dry Santa Ana winds fanned the flames over a three-square-mile area.
Highway security videotape could hold clues about who torched the stolen car and triggered the wildfire. Jennifer Seaton, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Corridor Agencies, said the agency turned over to fire investigators surveillance video and data from a toll station on Highway 241 in Orange County.
The car was set on fire about a half-mile south of the station, Seaton said. The license plates did not match the 2004 white Honda Civic, said John Nicoletti, a city spokesman.
“We believe that the suspect or suspects drove the vehicle to that location and may have been picked up by an associate or other associates, which allowed them to leave the scene quickly,” he said.
The fire destroyed two smaller structures along with the damaged house. Residents of about 500 homes were evacuated, but most were able to return Sunday night.
Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries. A third, who was accidentally cut in the face by an ax, was hospitalized in moderate condition, said Capt. Stephen Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority.
Miller said lower temperatures, in the 70s, and lighter wind helped some 800 firefighters contain the blaze.
A “red flag” alert for fire danger had been issued going into the weekend and the forecast of winds, extremely low humidity and heat proved true as Southern California stayed on pace to have the driest winter in decades.
The last time it was this dry was in 1923-1924, when 2.5 inches of rain was recorded through March 22, 1924. Only about 2.4 inches of rain has fallen in downtown Los Angeles since July 1, and forecasters said it was unlikely there would be any rain in March. Normal annual rainfall in Los Angeles is 11.43 inches.