Canyon fire in Ventura county, north of Los Angeles, is a ‘very dynamic situation’ and 0% contained, officials say
A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles ignited and spread quickly on Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations.
The Canyon fire ignited around 1.30pm, growing to over 2.3 sq miles (6 sq km) in five hours, according to Ventura county emergency response. It remained 0% contained late on Thursday afternoon and was spreading east, the county said.
The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres national forest. It’s close by Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes fire in January. That fire burned about 15 sq miles (39 sq km) in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.
In Los Angeles county, around 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures are under an evacuation order, and another 12,500 residents are under an evacuation warning, said spokesperson Andrew Dowd for the Ventura county fire department.
