Authorities probe cause of brush fire near LA

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Local authorities said on Sunday they are probing into the cause of a brush fire that engulfed more than 4 square km of vegetation near Los Angeles.

The fire started on Sunday afternoon in Angeles National Forest on the San Gabriel Mountains near Glendora, 37 km east of downtown Los Angeles, prompting an evacuation of a campgrounds and rehabilitation center in the area.

Authorities have dispatched 200 firemen and nine water-dropping tankers, Angeles National Forest spokeswoman L'Tanga Wats said.

All buildings in the area are safe, according to officials.

The fire broke out near a campground and quickly grew to 4 square km. It sent a huge cloud of smoke that could be seen from the coast to the desert inland.

Campgrounds that typically attract up to 12,000 visitors on the holiday weekend, as well as rehabilitation centers and the private community of Camp Williams Resort above the city of Glendora, were evacuated.

The forest is heavily used by Southern California residents because it is close to populated areas. Fire officials said that while the campgrounds were not in the line of the fire, they had to be emptied so that the only road in and out of the San Gabriel Canyon could be open just for fire trucks and emergency vehicles.

The fire was burning thick brush that was not touched by a destructive fire in 2009, Watson said. She said the flames, fueled by a combination of dry heat and the heavy brush, were marching uphill toward the wilderness.

About 300 firefighters were aided by four water-dropping helicopters and nine air tankers.

Questions:

1. How many square kilometers of vegetation caught fire?

2. How many kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles was the fire?

3. How many water-dropping helicopters were used?

Answers:

1. 4.

2. 37.

3. 4.

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.