Powerhouse Fire
The Powerhouse Fire on the afternoon of June 1, 2010, as seen from Santa Clarita
Date(s)	May 30, 2013 (2013-05-30) – June 10, 2013 (2013-06-10)
Location	Los Angeles County, California, United States
Statistics
Burned area	30,274 acres (12,251 ha)
Impacts
Deaths	0
Non-fatal injuries	10
Structures destroyed	53
Ignition
Cause	Downed power lines [1]

The Powerhouse Fire was a wildfire in northern Los Angeles County, California, mostly in the Angeles National Forest. It started at approximately 3:30 PM on May 30, 2013. It was 100% contained by June 10, 2013.

Progression

The fire began near a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) facility in San Francisquito Canyon near Drinkwater Reservoir. ^[2]

Overnight, between June 1 and June 2, the fire encountered an area where terrain aligned with high winds, causing it rapidly expand from 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) to 19,500 acres (7,900 ha). ^[3]

The fire burned more than 30,000 acres and destroyed 53 structures, including 24 homes. ^[4] At the fire's peak it threatened more than 1,000 structures. ^[5] Two thousand firefighters were deployed to fight the fire. The communities of Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake, and Green Valley were evacuated. ^[6]

Effects

The fire never posed a threat to urban areas because the majority of the blaze was located in Angeles National Forest. The Powerhouse Fire did pose a threat to local forests as well as to powerlines, watershed areas, and the habitats of threatened and endangered species. ^{[6] [7]}

The fire resulted in 10 minor injuries. ^[8] At least three were heat-related injuries suffered by firefighters. ^[3]

A U.S. Forest Service investigation concluded that the fire had begun when an LADWP power line tripped, based in part on firefighters' discovery of a damaged insulator with signs of arcing at the site of the fire's ignition. ^[8]

References