La Habra Heights brush fire destroys two homes

A brush fire in La Habra Heights, known as the Palos fire, destroyed two homes and damaged a third on Monday afternoon. The blaze, which broke out around 2:30 p.m. near the 2400 block of Las Palomas Drive, burned approximately 17 acres.

Emergency responders, including 250 personnel and 76 units from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, worked to contain the flames. Firefighting efforts were complicated by narrow, winding hillside roads. While the forward progress of the fire was halted by late afternoon, the blaze reached 41% containment by 6 p.m.

The fire triggered evacuation warnings for hundreds of residents in the surrounding hillside neighborhoods. Temporary shelters were established at Los Altos High School and a local park gymnasium. Two people were reported injured during the incident, including one firefighter and one civilian.

In addition to residential damage, two outbuildings were significantly harmed. Crews also performed a rescue for a horse trapped at a property in the area.