A fire aided by overnight windsbroke out around 2 this morningin Little Tujunga Canyon and has already claimed 500 acres of brush and has forced the evacuation of about 1,200 nearby residents. Mandatory evacuations are currently in effect in Kagel Canyon, Lopez Canyon, and Little Tujunga Canyon. Residents of nearby Lakeview Terrace are on the ready, but are not required to evacuate as of yet.
*As of 9 a.m. Inciweb has raised the number of affected acres to 600. The fire is reportedly 5 percent contained. This is known as the Marek Wildland Fire. The cause remains under investigation. A total of 900 firefighters have been dispatched to the scene of the blaze.
