Firefighters Make Quick Work of Brush Fire Near ArtCenter College of Design

[UPDATED] Firefighters quickly gained control of a small vegetation fire that broke out near the ArtCenter College of Design on Thursday morning, authorities said.

The fire was first reported at 8:53 a.m. after it was spotted by a Pasadena Police Department helicopter crew in the 1700 block of Lida Street, adjacent to the school, Pasadena city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.

No structures were threatened, and firefighters managed to keep the flames confined to a space of about an acre, she said. The fire moved slowly, as winds were low.

“Ironically, light rain started to fall a half hour into the incident,” Derderian said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department provided water drops from helicopters, she added.

Firefighters declared the blaze extinguished within an hour.

It was determined the fire was accidentally sparked by construction workers cutting materials nearby, Derderian said.

Local firefighters are familiar with the area, as they conduct regular training there, according to she added.

“Emergency personnel will remain in the area to ensure no flare-ups,” she said. “Avoid the area to allow them access.”

Moving forward, “The high heat, dry vegetation and drought conditions continue to pose a threat for our hillside area,” she said.

Lida brush incident update: Fire personnel getting a good handle on the hot spots. Units will remain on scene and air drops will continue. Thank you to Pasadena Police airship for spotting the smoke early on @PasadenaPD pic.twitter.com/pf2sw6rzOq

— Pasadena Fire Dept. (@PasadenaFD) June 17, 2021

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