Fast-moving Canyon fire burns 1,500 acres, spurs evacuations in Ventura and L.A. counties
The Canyon fire was initially reported to be about 30 acres, but within about two hours that estimate jumped to just over 1,000 acres, according to Ventura County officials. By 7:30 p.m. the fire had burned 1,500 acres and was spreading east toward Interstate 5 in L.A. County, threatening the communities of Hasley Canyon, Val Verde and Hathaway Ranch as well as power lines in the area.
The blaze broke out around 2 p.m. near Holser Canyon Road, northeast of Piru — a small, unincorporated town not far from Castaic Junction, where Interstate 5 meets Highway 126, according to Ventura County officials.
Around 4,000 residents and 1,400 structures were affected by evacuation orders, while another 12,500 people and more than 4,000 structures were affected by evacuation warnings, according to Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.
Dowd said impacted residents were almost entirely in L.A. County. "In the area of the fire that's in Ventura County, we do have four evacuation zones, but it's a very sparsely populated area, very rural area, and the fire is moving east out of that area," he said.
Both the Ventura and Los Angeles County fire departments were responding to the scene, where crews were facing temperatures up to 100 degrees with wind gusts up to 25 mph, according to the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office. Around 150 firefighters, along with 11 fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters, were working to battle the fire, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
In Ventura County, evacuation orders were issued for the Lake Piru Recreation area as well as the communities of Camulos and Piru. In L.A. County, evacuation orders were issued for the communities of Del Valle, Val Verde, Hasley Canyon and Castaic. Several surrounding areas were also under evacuation warnings.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Santa Clarita Valley, urged residents to heed evacuation alerts.
"Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed," Barger said in a statement. "If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation. The Eaton Fire showed us how quickly devastation can strike."
An evacuation center was opened in the East Gymnasium of the College of the Canyons, at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.
Read more: Canyon fire: Evacuation zones, road closures, shelters
Barger issued a local emergency proclamation shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday to enable L.A. County to expedite the deployment of resources to assist residents and combat the fire.
"Our priority is to protect lives, homes, and critical infrastructure, and this proclamation will help ensure that we have the tools and support necessary to meet the urgent needs of our communities," she said in a statement.
Read more: California fires are burning and incoming heat wave could make things worse
Lake Piru Recreation Area is closed until further notice, as is Piru Canyon Road, which connects the town of Piru to the lake.
The Canyon fire is the fourth major blaze in the region in recent days, including the Gifford fire burning across the Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo county line. That fire, which ignited last week, is now California's largest this year at more than 98,000 acres.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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