The Canyon Fire has burned nearly 5,000 acres and prompted evacuation orders in an area on the Los Angeles-Ventura county line have achieved 25% containment Friday after overnight water drops kept the flames from uncontrolled spread.
The wildfire in the Val Verde area west of Castaic has burned 4,856 acres, with about 400 firefighters from LA County and city fire departments, Ventura County FD, the Angeles National Forest and Cal Fire attacking the blaze, officials said.
“The fire is burning east with a rapid rate of spread in light to medium fuels,” Cal Fire reported Friday morning. “The onshore push is influencing fire behavior, and the fire is threatening 60 (kilovolt) powerlines as well as the communities of Hasley Canyon and Hathaway Ranch, but is moving away from the community of Piru. … The fire has now crossed into LA County and continues to spread east toward the community of Val Verde.”
The Ventura County and LA County fire departments have established a unified command to develop and implement a long-term strategy to contain and suppress the fire, officials said.
“The incident commander has ordered multiple strike teams of engines, hand crews, and dozers to reinforce the initial response,” according to Cal Fire.
Multiple evacuation orders have been issued for affected areas near the fire’s perimeters, roughly west of Interstate 5, east of Lake Piru and north of the 126 Freeway. Some evacuation orders were later downgraded to warnings.
The National Weather Service has forecast sunny and hot weather in the area Friday with a high near 100, southwest wind around 15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph, slightly cooler than Thursday. Temperatures in the high 90s and dry conditions were expected through the weekend.
The fire moved fast after erupting Thursday around 1:30 p.m. near Lake Piru in Ventura County, then spread eastward into LA County, prompting evacuation orders in the Val Verde area west of Castaic.
The blaze quickly reached a second-alarm designation as it burned in a remote area east of Lake Piru, officials said. The flames spread swiftly through the brush from approximately 30 acres to 1,051 within two hours.
The fire expanded to 1,500 acres by 7 p.m. Thursday, according to Cal Fire. It is now burning mostly in LA County.
As the fire advanced, evacuation warnings issued for the Val Verde area elevated to evacuation orders that expanded to include the Hasley Canyon area. Some nearby neighborhoods were placed under additional evacuation warnings.
One structure has been reported destroyed, but no residences have burned and no injuries have been reported, officials said.
There fire’s cause was under investigation.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area, announced a local emergency proclamation Thursday afternoon to help secure available resources to fight the blaze.
Barger urged residents in the area to comply with evacuation orders.
“The Eaton Fire showed us how quickly devastation can strike,” she said in a statement. “It is never worth risking your life, the lives of your loved ones and pets, or the safety of those working to protect you. Your safety is my top priority, and swift action saves lives.”
Barger also noted that refusing to evacuate complicates the work of firefighters, who must then focus on protecting people rather than property.
“For residents in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon and Val Verde: please take every evacuation warning and order seriously,” Barger said. “If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that the state has secured Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to help ensure the availability of firefighting resources. FEMA reimburses local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire 75% of firefighting costs.
“Thank you to the brave men and women who are fighting the Canyon Fire and other wildfires throughout the state,” Newsom said in a statement. “This assistance will help our partners protect California communities.”
Emergency alerts that include local fire advisories and updates are available by signing up at alert.lacounty.gov.
