Massive wildfire rages in central California: Over 450 homes at risk; crews battle flames amid hot winds
According to US Forest Service official Flemming Bertelson, a driver was hospitalised with burn injuries after exiting his car and being engulfed in flames. When their all-terrain vehicle toppled, two contract workers who were helping firefighters were also injured.
East of Santa Maria, a community of roughly 110,000 inhabitants in Santa Barbara County, the fire forced the closure of the highway in both directions and threatened approximately 450 structures.
Scattered with towering California live oaks and Sycamore trees, the hilly agricultural area is renowned for its wine business and is located approximately 150 miles (240 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles and 65 miles (105 kilometres) northwest of Santa Barbara.
The fire started along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield on Friday and spread from at least four minor fires.
"That gave us multiple fronts, and the flames started fanning out in many directions," Bertelson stated. "The fire is gobbling up chapparal and brushland and running up very steep slopes."
As planes dropped water on the advancing flames, ranchers evacuated their animals. Before winds were predicted to pick up after sunset, over 1,000 firefighters were fighting the fire in hot, dry weather and unpredictable winds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
a day ago
- News18
Canyon Fire Burns Over 5,000 Acres Near LA, Air Quality Declines Sharply
Last Updated: An Air Quality Alert was issued Friday due to the fire's impact on surrounding communities. Several areas across Los Angeles are battling fast-moving wildfires, with residents forced to evacuate their homes in haste as firefighters work tirelessly to bring the blazes under control. Among the most concerning is the Canyon Fire, which erupted Thursday and has rapidly spread across parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The fire reportedly began near Lake Piru and has moved eastward toward Castaic. As of early Friday afternoon, the Canyon Fire had scorched approximately 5,370 acres, according to the latest updates from the LA County. While containment efforts are ongoing, the fire is currently 25% contained, up from 0% earlier on Friday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported. Fueled by temperatures exceeding 100°F (37.7°C) and strong gusty winds, the fire spread quickly through the dry, brush-covered hills and mountainous terrain. Authorities are cautiously optimistic that cooler nighttime temperatures may help slow the fire's advance, but conditions remain volatile. An Air Quality Alert was issued Friday due to the fire's impact on surrounding communities. Air quality in affected regions has plummeted to 'unhealthy" levels, prompting the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District to issue warnings for areas including Piru, Fillmore, and Santa Paula. The Ventura County Fire Department has ordered mandatory evacuations for more than 2,700 residents, while an evacuation warning remains in place for approximately 14,000 people in the region. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger took to social media to urge compliance with evacuation directives. 'If you're in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously – when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware – please don't risk lives," she wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The #CanyonFire is spreading fast under extreme heat & dry conditions near Ventura–LA County line. If you're in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously — when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware–please don't risk lives. — Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@kathrynbarger) August 7, 2025 The city of Santa Clarita remains on high alert, with emergency officials urging residents to avoid affected zones until further notice. Meanwhile, another major blaze, known as the Gifford Fire, continues to burn northwest of the region, in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, and has already engulfed nearly 100,000 acres. With continued extreme heat and dry conditions forecast in the coming days, the National Weather Service has warned that the situation could become more complex and dangerous across Southern California. view comments First Published: August 09, 2025, 03:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
2 days ago
- India.com
California Canyon Fire Triggers Evacuation Order, Red Cross Extends Helping Hand
A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California has forced thousands of residents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties to evacuate. Ignited in a mountainous area north of LA on Thursday afternoon, the blaze reportedly spread rapidly and, by late afternoon, was zero percent contained and moving east. AP reported, citing Ventura County emergency response, that the Canyon fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. and grew to more than 6 square kilometers within five hours. The flames are burning south of Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest, near Lake Castaic — an area scorched by the Hughes Fire in January. The Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, Kathryn Barger, in a post on X, wrote that the California Canyon fire is spreading quickly and urged the citizens to take the evacuation order seriously. "The Canyon Fire is spreading fast under extreme heat & dry conditions near Ventura–LA County line. If you're in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously — when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware--please don't risk lives," Barger posted. The #CanyonFire is spreading fast under extreme heat & dry conditions near Ventura–LA County line. If you're in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously — when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware--please don't risk lives. — Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@kathrynbarger) August 7, 2025 She also informed that the LA Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at the College of the Canyons for residents impacted by the wildfire. Central California Wildfire IAN reported on Wednesday, citing authorities, that hundreds of structures are threatened by a fast-moving wildfire that had scorched about 332 square km in less than five days in Central California. The wildfire, dubbed the 'Gifford Fire,' broke out Friday afternoon when four separate ignitions along a California highway merged into a single wildfire currently burning on the Santa Lucia Road in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, according to the US Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire has also prompted evacuation orders for residents in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. There are over 1,900 personnel assigned to the fire, alongside 40 hand crews, 115 engines, 23 dozers, and 30 water tenders supported by air tankers and helicopters, according to a US interagency all-risk incident information management system, InciWeb. The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office said that the smoke would affect parts of Southwest California and noted that wildfire smoke is a health risk.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Rapidly spreading brush fire forces evacuations north of Los Angeles
The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state's largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest AP Los Angeles A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles ignited and spread quickly on Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations. The Canyon Fire ignited around 1.30 pm, growing to over 4.1 square kilometres in less than three hours, according to Ventura County emergency response. It remained zero per cent contained late Thursday afternoon and was spreading east, the county said. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It is close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 39 square kilometres in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings. In LA County, around 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures are under an evacuation order, and another 12,500 residents are under an evacuation warning, said spokesperson Andrew Dowd for the Venture County Fire Department. The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County are relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. Dowd said the fire was a very dynamic situation caused by hot, dry weather, steep and rugged terrain and dry fuel. There were 250 firefighters on the ground coordinating with helicopters and other air support, he said. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate. 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 new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state's largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest. The Gifford Fire had spread to 399 square kilometres by Thursday afternoon and was at 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted last Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state. In Southern California, the threat is driven by persistent drought, high grass loads, and weakening coastal moisture, according to a wildfire forecast by the state's fire department. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
