The fire that engulfed almost a quarter of Griffith Park was brought under control Wednesday, but not before destroying familiar natural landmarks and leaving hillsides charred and barren.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday evening that the fire was 75% contained and that there were no more active flames in the park. He said the number of firefighters on the scene had been reduced to fewer than 40.
"The tide is turning in our favor," Villaraigosa said. "We are winning the battle of the flames."
Fire officials warned, however, that the park was still in danger if winds picked up again. And Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda said that more unpredictable fires should be expected because of dense brush and tinderbox weather conditions.
"We're seeing erratic fire behavior and it's become the norm," he said.
Miraculously, no homes at the edge of the park were destroyed. Also spared were such iconic landmarks as the Greek Theatre and the newly reopened Griffith Observatory. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the park merry-go-round and the Autry National Center also were untouched, though at one point Tuesday, the flames threatened them all.
The zoo animals were returned to their outdoor exhibits Wednesday after spending Tuesday afternoon and night in their indoor enclosures, watched over by keepers. The zoo itself, however, remained closed to the public, as were all the access roads.
On Wednesday morning, Park Ranger William Ramirez scanned the destruction the fire had caused to some of the most popular areas of the park.
"It's difficult to see," said Ramirez, who has been a ranger for 19 years. "It looks naked."
The blaze broke out about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday just east of the Hollywood sign and whipped through thick brush and old-growth trees, fanned by erratic gusting winds.
Police at first thought a homeless 20-year-old man might have inadvertently started the fire, but after intense questioning, determined that he had not. Officials have not yet pinpointed the fire's point of origin.
Flames scorched more than 800 acres of the 4,200-acre park, including old-growth sycamore and oak trees, as well as native chaparral that is home to a wide assortment of wildlife.
"Overnight, the park has changed dramatically," Ramirez said. "When the rains come, erosion is going to create havoc.... A lot of mud is going to come down onto the roadways."
