Firefighters put out a spreading fire in Gorman, Calif., on Sunday.
Eric Thayer/AP
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Eric Thayer/AP
A wildfire northwest of Los Angeles has burned more than 12,000 acres and forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people, Cal Fire officials said.
The fire spread quickly and started around 2 p.m. The plane was heading southeast toward Pyramid Lake on Saturday in Gorman, Los Angeles County, west of Interstate 5, Cal Fire said Sunday.
The so-called “post-fire” broke out overnight, driven by strong winds and low humidity. The fire spread west into Ventura County, burning 2,000 acres, mostly in the Los Padres National Forest, LAist reported.
As of Sunday afternoon, the fire was 2% contained.
Strong winds on Sunday are expected to continue into Monday, complicating firefighting efforts. The National Weather Service said around noon that wind gusts in the area had reached 55 mph and were expected to reach 70 mph later in the day.
Evacuation orders have been issued for Hungry Valley Park and Pyramid Lake (state park officials have evacuated about 1,200 people), and Pyramid Lake is closed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Cal Fire. No injuries were reported.
California’s wildfire season is about to begin. Fires have burned about 41,900 acres so far this year, higher than the 27,100-acre average for the same period over the past five years, according to Cal Fire.
