Fatal Car Crash Ignites Two Brush Fires, Sylmar, San Fernando Valley

A fatal car crash on the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway near the San Diego (405) Freeway interchange in Sylmar sparked two brush fires burning a total of about eight acres. The single-vehicle accident occurred when a car veered off the freeway, went down an embankment near the LAPD training facility, and caught fire, resulting in the driver's death. Firefighters quickly contained the initial fire, which consumed up to seven acres, and then focused on a smaller one-acre spot fire that jumped to the opposite side of the freeway. Approximately 80 firefighters, including LA County fire crews, responded, successfully stopping the fires' forward progress without any reported additional injuries or structural damage. Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased or determined whether the driver died due to the crash or the subsequent fire, and the cause of the accident is under investigation. The incident highlights the rapid spread of brush fires triggered by vehicle accidents in the San Fernando Valley area.