Dramatic VIDEO shows LA firefighters battling Saddleridge fire

A fast-moving brushfire has swept through LA’s San Fernando Valley, traveling some 7,500 acres and threatening thousands of homes in the area. Remarkable footage shows firefighters keeping the blaze at bay.

Starting late on Thursday evening, the conflagration has already consumed an estimated 31 structures in Los Angeles, where over 100,000 residents have fled their homes, some in response to mandatory evacuation orders. The blaze is 13 percent contained, according to the LA Fire Department.

The fire department has so far reported two casualties: a firefighter who sustained minor injuries, as well as one resident who died of cardiac arrest.

The scale of the inferno could be seen from across a nearby highway. 

Seven evacuation centers have been established to accommodate those forced to leave their homes, to which ride-sharing company Lyft has offered free transportation to residents. A number of roads have also been closed.

 LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said 1,000 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, including personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the US Forest Service.

City officials said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.

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