Brush fire contained near LA Zoo in Griffith Park

A brush fire in Griffith Park has been contained at 57 acres as officials re-opened freeways and roads around noon. Trails near the affected area remain closed, however.

At 11:15 a.m. the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the fire was holding at 30 acres. At 2:00 p.m. the department said the fire was 60 percent contained and that crews would continue working through the night to fully douse the flames. Caltrans confirmed all roads had been opened.

The Los Angeles Zoo was closed to visitors this morning, with employees preparing to evacuate animals. Zoo officials tweeted that staff had evacuated “bird show animals” and “smaller primates.” Staff also were shown “hosing down the most vulnerable hillside areas.”

According to an announcement from the zoo, animals that were evacuated have been returned to their habitats and the zoo will reopen to visitors Saturday.

The Riverside Drive off-ramp on the eastbound 134 freeway had been closed due to the fire. The Zoo Drive and Griffith Park Drive exits on the northbound 5 freeway, and the Zoo Drive exit on the westbound 134 were also closed. All are now open.

More than 100 firefighters battled the fire, which burned in “heavy brush” directly east of the zoo and the nearby Autry Museum of the American West.

No structures were burned. One firefighter is being treated for a “non-life threatening” injury.

Earlier this year, a fire burned about two dozen acres in Griffith Park and forced the Griffith Observatory to close before firefighters contained the blaze.

This story was updated at 1:40 p.m.