A fast-moving wildfire broke out on Thursday afternoon near the Ventura and Los Angeles county line, forcing emergency evacuations in Piru and Castaic. Officials said the fire, named the Canyon Fire, started around 2 p.m. near Holser Canyon Road. It spread rapidly through dry brush and steep terrain as Southern California experienced extreme heat.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the blaze escalated quickly due to the ongoing heat wave. Ventura County fire officials said the rough landscape and hot, dry conditions helped the fire grow quickly. Emergency teams responded immediately with ground crews and air support.
Canyon Fire Grows From 30 Acres to Nearly 5,000 Acres
Fire officials initially reported that the Canyon Fire had spread across 30 acres. Within two hours, the flames jumped to 1,000 acres. By Thursday evening, the fire had already burned 4,856 acres and continued to move east toward Castaic and Interstate 5 in Los Angeles County. Firefighters battled the fast-growing fire on both the ground and from the air. The rugged terrain and dry weather conditions made the fire hard to control. Officials kept monitoring the situation as the fire remained active through the day, and they expected fire suppression efforts to continue overnight.
Ventura County Fire Department Reports Steady Progress
Andrew Dowd, spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, told the Los Angeles Times, “Fire conditions are settling down for the night, the air is cooling off, and we continue to have an aggressive fire attack happening, coordinated between ground resources and helicopter.” He added, “So while we certainly have a significant number of people still evacuated and a significant number of residents that are under evacuation orders, we continue to make good progress.” Officials coordinated closely with different teams to slow the fire’s spread and protect residential areas from direct damage.
Thousands Remain Under Evacuation Orders in Affected Areas
By Thursday night, firefighters had made enough progress to reduce evacuation orders in some parts of Val Verde, downgrading them to evacuation warnings. Still, the threat remained serious. As of late Thursday, about 2,500 people and 700 buildings stayed under mandatory evacuation orders. In addition, 14,000 residents and more than 4,700 structures remained under evacuation warnings. Officials continued to monitor conditions closely. They urged residents to stay alert and follow safety instructions. Firefighters continued to work overnight to contain the flames and prevent further spread toward populated areas.
Must Read: Germany Suspends Arms Exports to Israel Over Gaza City Offensive Plan
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
