Massive Canyon Fire Rages, Forcing Thousands to Flee Across LA and Ventura Counties
Massive Canyon Fire Rages, Forcing Thousands to Flee Across LA and Ventura Counties
Firefighters are aggressively battling the rapidly expanding Canyon Fire, which has now consumed nearly 5,000 acres, prompting widespread evacuations across northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Crews are working tirelessly to establish containment lines and prevent the blaze from reaching threatened communities.
Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd stated, “We’re trying to build a box around this fire and put it out before it gets into any of the potential communities that are currently under evacuation orders.” The Canyon Fire is the largest of several blazes ignited by days of intense heat across Southern California, with the much larger Gifford fire to the north in San Luis Obispo County already burning 100,000 acres.
The Canyon Fire erupted around 2 p.m. Thursday near Holser Canyon Road, northeast of Piru, amid scorching 100-degree temperatures. Within hours, the fire escalated from an initial 30 acres to over 1,000 acres. By Friday morning, it had scorched 4,856 acres, spreading eastward toward Castaic and Interstate 5 in L.A. County with zero percent containment. Over 400 firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are on scene.
Despite a slight cooling expected through the weekend, temperatures are predicted to remain above seasonal norms. As of midnight, 2,500 residents and 700 structures remained under mandatory evacuation orders, with an additional 14,000 people and over 4,700 structures under evacuation warnings. Both Ventura and Los Angeles county fire departments are coordinating efforts, facing extreme heat and wind gusts up to 25 mph. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger urged residents to obey all evacuation alerts, emphasizing the rapid spread of flames under current conditions. An evacuation center has been established at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita.
Concerns have also been raised by the American Civil Liberties Union regarding the fire’s proximity to the Pitchess Detention Center, which houses approximately 5,000 inmates. While outside the immediate evacuation warning zone, advocates are pressing for inmate safety plans. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department stated they are monitoring conditions and have a shelter-in-place strategy, citing defensible space around the facility.
Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.