Crime & Safety

Williams Fire Evacuees to Return Home

With the Williams Fire 48 percent contained, permanent residents evacuated during Sunday's fire will be allowed to return home Thursday.

After more than three days since a wildfire broke out near their homes, roughly 40 permanent residents evacuated from the Angeles National Forest can finally return home.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department will lift evacuation orders Thursday morning at 9 a.m., said Captain Don Slawson. Only permanent residents of the East Fork Road and Camp Williams Resort communities will be allowed to reenter the evacuated area through Highway 39 with a valid I.D. on Thursday.

Slawson said about 40 of the 75 permanent residents evacuated the area on Sunday, the rest choosing instead to stay and risk the possible onslaught of flames.

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On Saturday, holiday campers who had to abandon their equipment Sunday will be escorted to the evacuated recreational area to retrieve their items.

Those campers will need to meet at the El Encanto parking lot at 100 N. Old San Gabriel Canyon Road at 9 a.m. Saturday with a valid I.D.  They will then be escorted to the camping area and have 1 hour to retrieve their items.

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Slawson said about 1,500 to 2,000 people were evacuated from the area Sunday, most of whom were Labor Day visitors to the popular recreation area.

at will remain open until Thursday morning, said Slawson.

While the fire has grown to 4,180 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said the fire was 48 percent contained Wednesday, thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity from .

“There was a thin band of showers early this morning and partly cloudy skies that has offered us some reprieve,” said U.S. Forest Service Deputy Incident Commander Mark Nunez. “We are right on track to having this fire fully contained.”


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