Light winds fanned a brush fire in Highland Park on Wednesday afternoon, and one firefighter was injured responding to the blaze in the summer heat.
The fire burned an acre of dense brush just after 12:30 p.m. in Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. There was no immediate threat to any nearby homes and no calls for any evacuations. LAFD asked the California Highway Patrol to close the northbound exit to the 110 at Avenue 52 and for bus services to avoid Montecito Drive.
The fire burned for approximately 40 minutes.
Helicopters circled over the park and dropped water on the dry brush as a smoky haze descended over the area. A firefighter was injured, according to LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey. They were examined and treated for apparent heat exhaustion.
Hand crews remained on the scene to clear up any hotspots from the fire. The cause remains under investigation.
The forecast shows that the area will see light south-southwest winds at 4 mph and gusting at 10 mph, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. Temperatures are expected to remain around the mid to high 80s and will drop heading into Thursday, according to the forecast.
