Sherman Oaks brush fire quickly knocked down
A homeowner walking a dog spotted the flames near Benedict Canyon Lane early this morning. Firefighters quickly extinguished the 2-acre blaze, and praised the residents' creation of defensible spaces.
A two-acre brush fire broke out this morning in a hilly area of Sherman Oaks, but firefighters brought it under control within an hour, officials said.
The fire was reported at 5:36 a.m. in the 3700 block of Benedict Canyon Lane, said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Jeff Haas.
Fifty firefighters, eight fire companies and two water-dropping helicopters were dispatched to the scene and brought the fire under control by 6:15 a.m.
There are no reports of injuries or structural damage, Haas said. No homes were threatened.
"What saved everything is that homeowners were making a defensible space for us," Haas said.
Conditions this morning were cool and dry with calm winds.
Michael Foster, a nearby resident who lives on North Benedict Canyon Road, said one of his neighbors was walking a dog, saw the flames and ran over to his house, telling him, "There's a fire in the hills behind my house."
Foster said firefighters showed up within minutes and that he's relieved the fire, which illuminated the still-dark early morning sky, was put out without damage.
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