Group That Refused to Evacuate Now Reportedly Trapped

Los Angeles (CNS)  -- Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire officials lashed out today at five people who ignored evacuation orders as the Station Fire raged in the Angeles National Forest, saying someone from the group later called and asked for help getting out of a fire-ravaged area -- putting rescue crews' lives at risk.

But one of the men denied that the group had called for help, and insisted that they were three miles away from the blaze.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said around midday that four men and a woman who had ignored evacuation orders that were issued at least two days ago in the Gold Creek Canyon area had called fire officials and asked for help. He said rescue crews could not immediately get to the group because of the fire danger.

"What this says is listen, listen, listen," Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "Those people were told to get out two days ago, and now we are putting our people in danger to get them out."

But one of the men, Mark Underwood, told City News Service that nobody from his group ever called for help or asked to be rescued.

"Do you see any fire near us?" he asked, pointing to a fire on a ridge about three miles away. "It's been like this for four days, and if we were in immediate danger, we would get out immediately."

Underwood said he owns Crisis Canine Enforcement, a dog-training facility that works with guard and police dogs.

He conceded that he and others at the facility did not evacuate the area about three miles north of Lakeview Terrace, but said they were remaining in place to care for the dozens of dogs at the site.

One of his employees, Charles Swearingen, said if they had felt they were in immediate danger from the fire, they would have evacuated.

"There are no heroes up here, and this job is not worth being hurt," he said.

Whitmore insisted that somebody from the group had called and asked for evacuation help. But even if they had not called, the group was still creating problems by refusing to evacuate.

Capt. Mark Whaling of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said the area has a series of old ranches, and the brush is heavily overgrown.

"Why somebody is up there right now, I don't know," he said earlier today.