A California Department of Corrections fire crew looks on as the Canyon Fire burns on Thursday in Halsey Canyon, California.
A wildfire in the mountains north of Los Angeles continues to burn after it tore through thousands of acres and forced evacuations after igniting Thursday afternoon. It’s one of several notable fires in the West that have exhibited explosive growth in recent weeks, spurred by searing heat and dry, gusty wind.
The Canyon Fire started around 1:30 p.m. PT on Thursday and had burned through more than 5,300 acres of land by Friday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire has destroyed at least two structures, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd told CNN Friday morning. It has been spreading east and is at 28% containment.
A majority of the fire’s extreme growth unfolded in just over an hour Thursday, burning an area bigger than a football field every two seconds. That rate of fire spread would burn through an area the size of New York City’s Central Park in less than 25 minutes.
Fire crews experienced a difficult fight Thursday night, when the blaze was 0% contained, but made some progress, Dowd said. “Throughout the night, we saw cooler temperatures and less winds and took advantage to increase our control lines.”
Firefighters were able to slow fire growth Friday “despite the challenging weather and terrain,” the LA County Fire Department said in an evening update.
Three firefighters sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital, but are expected to make a full recovery, the fire department said.
The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest, and along the Ventura-Los Angeles county border, about 40 miles northwest of center city Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles County, many evacuation orders were downgraded Friday after authorities initially put 2,700 residences and 700 structures under an evacuation order, and another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures under an evacuation warning, according to Dowd. Residents in Ventura County are also under evacuation orders, but those areas are sparsely populated, he said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate in a statement Thursday.
“Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,” Barger said. “If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.”
Firefighters’ goals Friday will be to expand the control lines and “to test the control measures we put in place” Thursday, Dowd said.
