Walnut Fire Races Through Burbank Hills

Flames raced through the hills above Burbank on Saturday and sent emergency crews scrambling to protect nearby businesses and public sites.

Story Snapshot

The Walnut Fire started in the 1500 block of East Walnut Avenue near DeBell Golf Course and Wildwood Canyon Park.
Burbank officials issued evacuation orders for DeBell Restaurant and Golf Course and Stough Canyon Nature Center.
Fire crews from several cities responded with helicopters, water drops, and ground teams.
Officials later said the fire reached about 40 acres, was 70 percent contained, and left one firefighter injured.

Fire Breaks Out Above Burbank

Fire crews battled the Walnut Fire on the Verdugo Mountain hillside above Burbank after it was reported around 3 p.m. near the 1500 block of East Walnut Avenue. Reporters said smoke and flames were visible near homes and the golf course, which quickly raised alarm in the neighborhood. The fire’s location put it in the same steep, brush-heavy area that often turns a small spark into a fast-moving emergency.

By early evening, officials said the fire had grown to about 40 acres and was 70 percent contained. Earlier reports put the blaze at about 20 acres, showing how fast the situation changed during live coverage. CAL FIRE’s status updates and city reports helped confirm that the incident was still active while crews worked to stop forward progress and mop up hot spots.

Evacuation Orders and Public Closures

Burbank city leaders said evacuation orders were in place for DeBell Restaurant and Golf Course and Stough Canyon Nature Center. Officials also closed hiking trails and canceled the Starlight Bowl concert scheduled for Saturday. Those steps showed that the response went beyond the fire line itself. City crews treated the area as a live public-safety zone, not just a brush fire on a hillside.

The available reports do not provide a full public packet that cleanly separates evacuation orders from warnings for each home or street. That matters because fast-moving wildfire coverage can make every nearby area sound equally threatened, even when the official footprint is narrower. In this case, the strongest confirmed orders in the supplied record focused on businesses and public sites close to the fire’s path.

Crews, Injuries, and the Cause Probe

Firefighters from Burbank and neighboring departments used helicopters and coordinated ground crews to attack the blaze. ABC7 reported that one firefighter was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The steep terrain and limited access made the work harder, which helps explain why agencies moved quickly with air support and mutual aid.

Burbank #WalnutFire Update as of 7:10PM:
Forward progress of the walnut fire has stopped. All evacuations warnings have been lifted. Anyone reentering the area is asked to be careful and watch out for fire crews working in the area.

— KalaniTheGreat (@KalaniTheGreat) August 9, 2026

Investigators also looked at a nearby single-vehicle crash as a possible ignition source. CBS Los Angeles said no official cause had been determined at the time of its report, so the origin question was still open in the early hours of the incident. That uncertainty does not weaken the need for evacuation. It does show how wildfire response often unfolds before the full story is known.