One person was killed Tuesday when a car went off the Golden State (5) Freeway in Sylmar, sparking a brush fire that consumed about eight acres of vegetation.
Firefighters responded around 3:15 p.m. to the area near the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway north of the San Diego (405) Freeway. A car had careened off the freeway and ended up in some brush, sparking the vegetation fire, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz.
The fire at the initial location was fully contained around 4:20 p.m. after consuming seven acres, but crews were soon alerted to another blaze that burned approximately one acre of vegetation after jumping to the opposite side of the 5 Freeway.
The driver of the car that sparked the fire died, but it was unclear if the person suffered a medical emergency or died in the crash and fire. The person’s name was not immediately released.
There were no reports of structural damage or additional injuries.