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Powerhouse Fire Burns 32,008 Acres, 60 Percent Contained

By Clarissa Wei
June 4, 2013
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Photo: Courtesy Zak Holman

The Powerhouse Fire in the Angeles National Forest is 60 percent contained. The blaze, which began Thursday evening, grew from 29,500 acres to 32,008 acres on Monday. Firefighters are facing slightly weaker winds than before, and calmer conditions are expected as the week progresses.

Residents with drinking water wells are being advised to boil their water, and air quality throughout the area remains unhealthy for sensitive individuals, especially in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

Evacuation orders were lifted in the Lake Elizabeth, Lake Hughes, and Green Valley areas on Tuesday. So far, the fire has cost $7,897,391 but California authorities have announced that the Federal Emergency Management Association was promising to cover 75 percent of the total cost.

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