A series of brush fires broke out in Southern California and across the state on Sunday, destroying structures in some places and forcing evacuations, while engine crews braced overnight for strong winds.
The largest fire, which has burned nearly 15,000 acres in the Gorman area, was only 2% contained late Sunday night, officials said. In Sonoma County, a fire burned about 1,013 acres, destroyed an unknown number of structures and prompted evacuation orders and warnings in the Upper Valley, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire spokesman Jason Clay said it was impossible Sunday evening to accurately count how many people were asked to evacuate. The fire has been 15% contained.
“We’re trying to see what happens with the wind,” Clay added. “The staff will be working hard tonight.”
Firefighters in the Lancaster area had better luck, with the fire burning about 340 acres and damaging some structures, officials said. For a time, nearby houses were threatened.
A fast-moving brush fire damaged a number of structures in the Lancaster area Sunday afternoon.
(Dahua News)
The fire started near West 80th Street and Avenue K, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. By early evening, crews had the fire under control and no other structures were threatened, department spokesman Craig Little said.
“The progress has stopped,” Little said. “The fire isn’t going anywhere.”
It’s unclear how many buildings were damaged.
Oscar Flores and his 12-year-old son were riding an off-road vehicle at Hungry Valley State Park south of Gorman on Saturday afternoon when they spotted a rock in the distance. With billowing smoke.
The 33-year-old Oxnard resident wasn’t too worried, thinking it was a car fire on Interstate 5, but then he was contacted by a park ranger who told him he needed to leave the off-road recreation area immediately.
“Looks like today is the last day of the world. People load up and get out fast, drive fast. The ranger said you have 10 minutes [to get] Whatever you can pack,” he recalled Sunday. “Some people were angry and frustrated and they had to leave.”
Flores, his family and friends escaped safely along with about 1,200 campers from a wind-driven wildfire that broke out just south of Ralphs Ranch Road around 2 p.m. Join visitors and evacuate from recreation areas west of the highway.
Videos and photos posted on social media captured RVs towing all-terrain vehicles evacuating campgrounds packed with people celebrating Father’s Day weekend at the 19,000-acre park. I-5 was briefly closed Saturday at Quail Lake and Gorman Post Road, causing traffic chaos and some accidents reportedly caused by drivers stopping to photograph the flames.
The fire quickly grew to 500 acres, with strong overnight wind gusts at Tejon Pass fanning the Post Fire, which ran parallel to Interstate 5 and spread southeast toward Pyramid Lake, according to the California Department of Forestry. , authorities have closed the lake. The fire had grown to 14,625 acres and was 2% contained by Sunday evening as high winds, low humidity and steep terrain hampered firefighting efforts. The cause is under investigation.
The fire destroyed an auto repair shop, damaged another building and threatened other structures south and west of I-5, authorities said. Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded quickly, dispatching aerial tankers and water-sprinkler helicopters to conduct aerial attacks. The Ventura County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service are assisting with the effort. At one point Sunday, about 400 firefighters and 70 fire trucks were on the scene, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighters kept an eye on the flames Sunday near Hungry Valley Road in Gorman.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Temperatures in the mountains are expected to drop into the 80s on Sunday after topping the 90s on Saturday. Afternoon wind gusts up to 50 mph and humidity levels of 15 to 20 percent presented further challenges. “They’re going to have a tough time with the fires,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Carlos Molina.
Meanwhile, firefighters are battling another brush fire in the San Bernardino County community of Hesperia, which broke out in the 18000 block of Highway 173 North on Saturday just after 6 p.m.
This resulted in road closures in the area and an evacuation warning for the nearby community of Lake Arrowhead Estates, according to Cal Fire. The brushfire was advancing eastward and had grown to 1,131 acres by Sunday night after a night of minimal activity. The fire is 20% contained and crews are strengthening perimeter defenses and clearing hot spots.
“They’re making very good progress getting some containment lines built,” Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo told The Times.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The wildfires are breaking out as experts work to assess the potential severity of this year’s fire season. Wet winters created thick tussocks of grass that can produce large amounts of fuel, and those tussocks are drying out as temperatures rise. Earlier this month, a wind-driven wildfire burned more than 14,000 acres in southwest San Joaquin County.
Just days ago, one colleague was killed and another injured as Los Angeles County Fire Department crews responded to an Antelope Valley quarry fire.
