A blaze that broke out Tuesday in the hills below Griffith Observatory as dozens were visiting the busy tourist destination has been extinguished, officials said.
The flames were first reported at about 7:45 p.m. on a hillside just northwest of the observatory and grew to cover 3 or 4 acres before they were put out two and a half hours later, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A crowd of spectators gathered outside on the observatory deck to watch its progress, though it later appeared that authorities had cleared bystanders from the area. Some tourists said it was quite the show on their first visit to the iconic landmark.
"We came with my friend to check out the observatory and the sightseeing and the view," said Andrew Rozsa, who had never been there before. "When we started to go back, we saw the huge smoke. As the fire approached us, everybody was getting a bit nervous."