UPDATE: 5:48 p.m. EST— Firefighters appeared to be making good progress in battling a fire that broke out in Griffith Park Tuesday afternoon. A skycam deployed by KTLA showed significant smoke but no very large flames coming from the blaze.
Original story:
A fire sparked near California's Griffith Park Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Fire Department wrote on Twitter. Authorities initially deployed both air and ground responses to the fire, burning northwest of Griffith Observatory.
The fire was initially reported at two acres. No specific structures were threatened, LAFD said in a statement.
Photos posted on social media showed significant smoke rising from the hills above residential areas. The Griffith Observatory is located northwest of the city of Los Angeles, near Los Feliz. The facility has a planetarium, telescopes and exhibits and boasts a prime view of the city and Hollywood Sign.
The area near the fire is also home to popular hiking trails, though it did not appear anyone was trapped by the fire, KTLA reported.
It was unclear exactly how the fire started. The Los Angeles Fire Department was not immediately available for comment to Newsweek.
This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
