A blazing fire continues to rage thousands of acres in the Angeles National Forest between Santa Clarita and Palmdale, north of Los Angeles. The blaze, called the Lake Fire, has prompted evacuation authorities and road closures in the Lake Hughes area, CBS Los Angeles reports.
The fire was reported at 3:38 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. At 4 p.m., officials said the fire was about 50 acres. About two hours later, flames quickly spread to about 10,000 acres.
The blaze grew to 11,000 acres Thursday night with 5% contained, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said. More than 5,000 structures were also threatened.
“This is going to be a big fire for several days,” Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia told reporters at a briefing Thursday morning.
A heat wave is expected to hit the region Friday through Monday, bringing with it challenging conditions for firefighters.
Firefighters said the flame is unusual because it developed early in the fire season and spread as fast as it did without strong winds. It is also an event for history that caused some of the areas to catch fire for the first time since 1968.
“It’s pretty explosive firearms,” said Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia. “It’s typically what we see a little bit later in the season and often driven by wind. The fuel, humid conditions and the fire at this particular location with the slope, it really made the recipe for rapid fire growth.”
Los Angeles County Fire Chief David Richardson told The Associated Press that the fire was driven by tinder-dry brush and steep terrain, but was as fierce as fire extinguished by the winds of Santa Ana arriving in about a month.
High temperatures in the mid-1990s and low humidity will bring increased fire conditions to the mountains and Antelope Valley as crews continue to fight the blaze, officials said.
The cause of the Lake Fire has not been determined. No injuries were reported.
Ringo HW Chiu / AP
More than 1,000 staff responded.
Several teams – including crews from the Angeles National Forest, and the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Culver City, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica Fire Department – worked with the Sheriff County Sheriff’s Department to evacuate residents by the fire.
Several mandatory evacuation orders, with about 100 homes, were issued.
An evacuation center was established at Highland High School in Palmdale. Due to coronavirus restrictions, officials said evacuees must stay in their cars outside the school.
Homeowner Kenny Reynolds told CBS LA that most of his home was destroyed and his property burned down.
“There was a big wall of flame, kind of came over a little faster than we thought, usually it’s a little slower, than the last time it came a little slower,” said Reynolds, referring to the 2013 Powerhouse Fire, which erupted in the Angeles National Forest and destroyed several dozen homes.
Reynolds said he barely had time to evacuate because fire tornadoes formed on hills surrounding his home.
“Stayed as long as we could, but it was kind of surrounding the house, and me and the neighbors evacuated as flames kind of defeated his house,” Reynolds said.
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