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]
Powerhouse fire on the afternoon of May 30, 2013, as seen from Santa Clarita, CA.
