Brush fire erupts off 405 Freeway on Sepulveda Pass

LOS ANGELES — (KABC) -- Los Angeles firefighters appeared to have flames from a brush fire that erupted off the 405 Freeway in Bel Air under control early Wednesday morning after the blaze burned at least 50 acres.

The fire in the Sepulveda Pass was reported at about 12:15 a.m. in the 1300 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, east of the 405 Freeway near Getty Center Drive, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

LAFD said no structures were "imminently threatened" and no evacuation orders have been issued. The blaze, dubbed the Sepulveda Fire, was burning amid hot and dry conditions with minimal winds, officials said.

"Though progress is being made, the fire has yet to be fully controlled and no containment factor has been estimated," LAFD said.

By about 2:45 a.m., forward progress of the fire was stopped as about 200 LAFD firefighters worked to extinguish flames. L.A. County Fire crews and helicopters assisted in the firefight by ground and air.

At least two firefighter were hurt, but appeared to be OK.

Arson investigators arrived to investigate a possible point of origin for the fire.

After the fire first broke out, plumes of smoke billowed into the air and raging flames were seen on hills off the 405 Freeway before crews were able to get an upper hand on the flames.

The California Highway Patrol said both sides of the 405 Freeway will currently remain open, but the northbound freeway off-ramp at Getty Center Drive would be closed until LAFD operations would be completed.

Southern California has been in the middle of a heat wave the last two days, prompting several brush fires in the area.

Last October, a fire erupted along the 405 in the Sepulveda Pass near the Getty Center, forcing thousands of evacuations.