Bottled water from the Red Cross is available to Hughes and Elizabeth Lake residents at the Rock Inn, which reopened about two hours after this photo was shot Sunday afternoon. Photo (c)SCVTV.
The Powerhouse Fire, which started a week ago in San Francisquito Canyon, has blackened 30,274 acres and is 78 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
CAL FIRE reports that 24 homes and 29 outbuildings have been destroyed. Five or six homes burned down Saturday night in Lake Hughes, primarily along Newview Road. The increase reflects the reassessment of damaged homes that were determined to be total losses.
Most roads that were previously closed have reopened to residents only. Ridge Route Road remains closed at Lake Hughes Road, and Pine Canyon Road remains closed from Three Points to Lake Hughes, as firefighters work to hold flare-ups within the containment zone.
Wednesday’s efforts focused on Sawtooth Mountain near the campground on Lake Hughes Road south of town, and near the point of origin above the LADWP’s Power House 1 in San Francisquito Canyon, 11.5 miles north of Santa Clarita city limits.
Two firefighters were transported to nearby hospitals Wednesday for heat exposure. Three other firefighters sustained minor injuries Saturday when the fire devastated Lake Hughes.
The American Red Cross has delivered bottled water to the historic Rock Inn in Lake Hughes for distribution to the lake communities. (The Rock Inn reopened Sunday at 4 p.m.) County public health officials advise Hughes and Elizabeth Lake residents to drink bottled water or boil their drinking water because the fire may have damaged water storage tanks and distribution systems, and because power outages may have reduced water pressure to a point where bacteria can grow.
A quickly organized Wednesday night fundraiser in Palmdale for fire victims netted approximately $1,100.
The Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Woman’s Club is accepting monetary donations for fire relief. Checks should be made out to the club, with “Powerhouse Fire” in the memo field, and sent to P.O. Box 84; Lake Hughes, CA 93532.
Powerhouse Fire: Thursday Updates
