201910.26
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Tick fire is 25% contained on Saturday morning

by in News

The Tick fire has grown to 4,615 acres and is 25% contained, fire officials said Saturday morning, Oct. 26.

All but one lane of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway is now open. Three southbound lanes, including the carpool lane, reopened at 10:30 p.m. Friday.

The right lane and shoulder remained closed from Agua Dulce Canyon Road to Sand Canyon Road for guardrail repair and the Soledad Canyon Road and Sand Canyon Road off-ramps remained closed until further notice, Caltrans said.

The northbound Antelope Valley Freeway, which had been closed between Golden Valley Road and Agua Dulce, was reopened about 4 p.m.

The freeway was closed early Friday morning when flames jumped the roadway.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Southern California Edison said power remained shut off to 4,048 customers in parts of Los Angeles County, including Agua Dulce, White Heather, Boiling Point, the Forest Park Map 1 area, and Mint Canyon.

Residents were being urged to avoid Bouquet Canyon Road, because sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were using it as a primary staging area.

Thousands of Los Angles County residents forced to evacuate from the wind-driven Tick fire were allowed back home late Friday amid cooler temperatures and calmer winds.

But officials said they were ready in case wind speeds change and again whip the fire into action. More than 1,300 firefighters remained on scene.

Some areas under evacuation orders — specifically the area east of Sand Canyon Road south of Sierra Highway at Linda Vista Street — were to remain off limits until at least Saturday morning, when officials reassess the situation.

Investigators are looking at a property in a remote part of Agua Dulce as a possible origin point for the fire. The initial 911 call on Thursday came from a home on Tick Canyon, LA County Fire PIO Sky Cornell confirmed on Saturday.

Cornell said an arson investigation has been launched as standard procedure to rule out all possible causes. “There’s no evidence of anything yet and we’re still investigation,” he said.

At least nine structures have been destroyed by the massive blaze. While crews Friday evening inspected neighborhoods left in the fire’s wake, officials expected the number of structures destroyed to rise. The fire still posed a threat to 10,000 other structures.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County Friday in response to the fire, freeing up state resources to assist in the firefighting effort.

More to come later today. Please check back for updates.