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Firefighters Face Largest Fire In Los Angeles History

It is the largest fire, by acreage, that the city of L.A. has ever seen.
A view from the La Tuna Canyon Fire on Sep. 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, Calif.
PG/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
A view from the La Tuna Canyon Fire on Sep. 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, Calif.

A historic brush fire ravaged almost 5,900 acres of land in California, the Los Angeles Fire Department announced on Sunday morning.

Over a thousand firefighters are currently working to control the blaze. Since the fire erupted on Friday, several aircrafts have been dropping water and fire retardant on hot spots.

The fire, which has charred 5,895 acres, is 10 percent contained. Two firefighters have suffered heat-related injuries or illnesses, but are in stable condition. The flames have also destroyed three structures, according to the LAFD.

Since Friday, the blaze forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in areas such as Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale. On Saturday night, most of the evacuation orders for Burbank were lifted, however.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a declaration of local emergency on Saturday instructing all city agencies to "take all necessary steps to protect life and property in the area."

It is the largest fire, by acreage, that the city of L.A. has ever seen, LAFD chief Ralph Terrazas said at a press conference Saturday, per CNN.

The fire, dubbed the La Tuna Fire, started in West La Tuna Canyon Road in Sun Valley Friday afternoon, reports the Los Angeles Times. It started as a small brush fire sparked by a triple digit heat wave and quickly spread due to shifting winds.

Fire officials say that heat and uncertain winds are still their biggest obstacles.

"Our biggest concern is the wind and weather," Terrazas said on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times. "The erratic weather is our No. 1 challenge. If there's no wind, this is a relatively easy fire to put out. But when the wind changes, it changes our priorities because other properties become at risk."

As of Sunday, Terrazas believes that weather conditions will improve, but he warned:

"That can change in a moment's notice and the wind can accelerate very quickly."

This is a developing and HuffPost will update it accordingly.

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