Raging Fires Fanned in Northwestern San Fernando Valley
Congressman Brad Sherman on Thursday praised California emergency responders who aided hundreds of people forced to evacuate from their homes while firefighters battled flames that whipped through the Chatsworth area.
"One of the lessons learned from the debacle of Hurricane Katrina is that the way to deal with a disaster is to have an efficient and coordinated response involving all levels of government," said Sherman, whose congressional district includes some of the 17,000 charred acres.
He pledged to help secure any federal assistance needed for the emergency response operation that has been spearheaded by local firefighters and U.S. Forest Service crews.
"Another lesson from this horrible hurricane season is to take evacuation orders seriously," Sherman added.
There were no serious injuries reported as of Thursday afternoon when more than 450 people had been evacuated from Agoura Hills, Northeast Oak Park, Bell Canyon, Box Canyon and Woolsey Canyon Road. The American Red Cross said the evacuees were taken to five shelters, including the Mason Recreation Center in Chatsworth and Canoga Park High School, where a Sherman aide was on hand to offer assistance.
As flames and smoke fanned by the season's first Santa Ana winds spread for a second day, the worst of the fires were in the Chatsworth area on the northwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley. One home burned and others were threatened in Valley canyons.