A fast-growing brush fire is forcing thousands of people to evacuate in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles
A fast-growing brush fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles.
The Canyon Fire ignited Thursday afternoon and grew to more than 7.6 square miles (19.7 square kilometers) by 11 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department. At least 400 personnel were battling the blaze along with several planes and helicopters. It remained uncontained late Thursday and was spreading east into Los Angeles County, officials said.
The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.
Sunny, hot and dry conditions were expected in the area where the Canyon Fire was burning on Friday, with the daytime high near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service.
