Just got in from the field and are catching up with reports of the fire behind Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Photo courtesy Tobias Lewsadder of thereallacanada blog and used with permission.
The fire was reported about 12:30 PM and was knocked down by 2 PM, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Alice Wessen at JPL reports that the fire was on the ridge just above buildings 244 and 239 NE of the Mars Yard. The LA County Firehawk was water-dropping, as well as three fire helicopters, and there were ground crews as well from the county and JPL.
Over at the Meadows, the Meadows Fire Safe Council is getting kudos for activating the county system to alert residents by phone, cell phone, text message, and email. Residents were notified that the fire was going on and that it went out. (You can sign up for the service if you haven't already here: http://portal.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/alertla)
Greg Stanton's Meadows blog has more.
CORRECTION 5/18: In the comments, Greg Stanton says: "The Meadows actually has its own alert system that the Meadows FireSafe Council put in place funded by the grants we've received through CA FireSafe Council. It's available to Meadows residents only. There were no alerts from County that I'm aware of."
There IS a county system (which you can sign up for above, and we recommend you do), but apparently that wasn't what was used to notify Meadows residents.
