LOS ANGELES, CA — One person was killed when a crash sparked two brush fires near the transition between the 405 and 5 freeways in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday afternoon.
First responders arrived to find one car had veered over the side of the 5 Freeway in Sylmar after 3 p.m. The car at that time was “fully involved with fire,” while nearby a quarter acre of brush was also burning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The crash involved one car, which swerved to the right and went over a small cliff and down an embankment near the 405 and 5 interchange, KHTS reported.
Within minutes, the brush fire had grown to 4 acres, the LAFD said.
One person died in connection to the incident, it’s unclear if the person was injured in the crash or in the subsequent fire.
By 4:20 p.m., forward progress was stopped on the original fire and crews were focusing their efforts on a 1-acre spot fire that jumped to the opposite side of the of the 5 Freeway.
As a result of the fire, the truck route from the northbound 405 to the 5 was blocked and the Roxford Street exit off the southbound 5 were both blocked as of 4:30 p.m.
Some 87 LAFD personnel, along with LA County fire crews, were working on the incident.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.