LOS ANGELES — Firefighters were gaining the upper hand Saturday on the Route fire near Castaic that has charred more than 5,200 acres, temporarily shut down all lanes of the 5 Freeway and prompted evacuations.
The fire was 71% contained as of 7 a.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported on its Twitter page. Crews are mopping up hot spots and further increasing containment.
The Route fire, which was first reported just after noon Wednesday along the 5 Freeway near Lake Hughes Road, grew quickly to 5,100 acres by Thursday, prompting mandatory evacuations and destroying two structures.
