Angeles National Forest officials recently reopened thousands of acres that were part of the Powerhouse Fire area closure in the Santa Clarita Valley, more than and year and a half after the devastating fire.

More than three-fourths of the closure area was reopened Oct. 23 of the initial Powerhouse Fire area closure which encompassed more than 100,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest, according to the news release and an order by Thomas Contreras, forest supervisor. More than 20,000 acres of burned area remains closed for additional recovery time.

Angeles National Forest map of Powerhouse Fire Closure Area. Updated as of Oct. 23, 2014

Grass Mountain, Jupiter Mountain, I-5 Corridor, Burnt Peak, Fish Creek, the Sawmill/ Liebre area and parts of the Pacific Crest Trail were reopened, according to the news release. Area that remains closed include those near Hughes Canyon Road, Fish Creek, Elizabeth Canyon Road and roads 7N01 and 7N02.

The fire danger level in the Angeles National Forest is at very high, according to the news release. Wood or charcoal fires are allowed in open, developed campsites only where a metal fire ring or stove is provided.

All stoves and fires require a valid California Campfire permit.

The fire burned 30,275 acres on May 30, 2013 and destroyed dozens of homes and structures, leaving many homeless. The fire was fully contained on June 10, 2013.

The official cause of the Powerhouse Fire was confirmed in July of this year.

“A fault/trip event was logged by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Power Plant One minutes before the initial report of fire,” according to a report released by the United States Department of Agriculture and Forest Service officials. “Gusty wind conditions were observed by responding fire personnel; and visible signs of arcing were observed on a power line conductor in the area of the initial fire attack.

“A damaged insulator was found attached to the same power line with visible signs of arcing. The investigation determined the cause of the fire to be power lines. All other fire cause categories were investigated and excluded.”

A first responder to the Powerhouse Fire reported seeing a loose conductor swaying in the wind on the same circuit that have two overcurrent events, according to the report.

Powerhouse Number One, located near where the fire started, is the original power plant for the municipal utility. A hydroelectric plant located on the Los Angeles aqueduct, it was built in 1917.