A fast-moving wildfire in the foothills north of Los Angeles has burned at least 10,000 acres in a matter of hours, according to officials.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said the blaze, called the “Lake Fire,” remains at 0% as it burns in the mountainside of Lake Hughes, located about 65 miles north of Los Angeles.
The blaze erupted Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., but grew rapidly in size as firefighters reported “extreme firefighting” and “rapid spread” to the northeast. Almost seven hours after the start, the blaze reached 10,000 acres.
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The fire fed on chapels and other tassels, some of which have not been burning since 1968, but the flames are moving into heavier woods on top of ridges, said firefighter Eric Garcia.
The Lake Hughes fire will burn in Angeles National Forest on Thursday, August 13, 2020, north of Santa Clarita, Calif.
(AP Photo / Ringo HW Chiu)
“It’s pretty explosive firearms,” he said.
A “firewhirl” or “firenado” was also taken prisoner by FOX11’s Bill Melugin who crawled into the air as the blaze grew.
Fire tornadoes, also called fire vortices, are not tornadoes in the true sense of the word. They occur when a piece of very hot air blows through the fire at a certain angle, producing a spinning momentum that then throws up glass and punctures.
In 2018, the massive Carr Fire in California produced a vortex with wind bells at 143 mph by the National Weather Service (NWS), a wind speed equal to an EF-3 tornado on the Fujita scale.
According to the NWS, a pyrocumulus cloud is formed when there is enough moisture and atmospheric instability over the “intense heat source.”
The explosive storms can form during a fire when heat and moisture is released from the plants, even if the fuel is relatively dry. Similar circumstances were seen during devastating wildfires earlier this year in Australia and another blaze in Northern California.
The Lake Hughes fire sends a root smoke over the Angeles National Forest on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, north of Santa Clarita, Calif.
(AP Photo / Ringo HW Chiu)
David Richardson, Los Angeles County deputy fire chief, said at a nightly news conference that there were reports that some suburbs were burning when the blaze occurred. The cause remains under investigation.
Fire Chief Kelvin Patterson disappears hot spots while protecting a house as the Lake Fire burns on Thursday, August 13, 2020 in the Angeles National Forest, California, north of Santa Clarita.
(AP Photo / Noah Berger)
Photos by an Associated Press photographer showed what appeared to be a burning house like a burning car.
A burning car stops on Pine Canyon Rd. as Lake Lake burns down a hill in the Angeles National Forest, California, north of Santa Clarita on Thursday, August 13, 2020.
(AP Photo / Noah Berger)
Aerial photos of FOX11 also showed structures that appeared to be houses burning in the area.
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With effect from Wednesday, amtners sei more than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze and helicopters are leading drops in the area.
The Lake Hughes fire burns down a home in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday, August 13, 2020, north of Santa Clarita, Calif.
(AP Photo / Ringo HW Chiu)
Fire crews and possibly some planes will spend the night against the blaze.
A chimney stands beneath the smoldering remains of a residence as the Lake Fire burns on Thursday, August 13, 2020 in the Angeles National Forest, California, north of Santa Clarita.
(AP Photo / Noah Berger)
Lake Fire is expected to continue to grow and threaten the surrounding communities of Lake Hughes, Leona Valley, Lake Elizabeth, Pine Canyon and Three Points.
A car caught fire in Lake Hughes in the Angeles National Forest on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, north of Santa Clarita, Calif.
(AP Photo / Ringo HW Chiu)
Compulsory evacuations have been issued for at least 100 homes in the area, according to officials.
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Shelter areas were set up, but due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, people were told to provide shelter in their cars.
A burning car was seen in the fire of Lake Hughes in Angeles National Forest on Thursday, August 13, 2020, north of Santa Clarita, Calif.
(AP Photo / Ringo HW Chiu)
The Los Angeles Red Cross also designated areas where residents with small animals affected could evacuate to.
After the eruption Wednesday afternoon, the blast sent a massive column of smoke thousands of feet into the air.
It could be seen tens of miles away in Los Angeles and other communities in Southern California.
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The area was expected to see temperatures through the weekend in the mid-90s or higher, with low humidity, but winds remained light.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
