Canyon Fire forces thousands of evacuations north of Los Angeles

A new wildfire ignited and spread rapidly in the mountains north of Los Angeles on Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations.

According to fire officials, the Canyon Fire began around 1:30 p.m. local time near Lake Piru and has since scorched more than 4,800 acres. No structures have been burned, and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The fire is being fueled by onshore winds that are pushing the blaze east, away from Lake Piru but toward the communities of Hasley Canyon, Hathaway Ranch and Val Verde, officials said. About 250 firefighters have been deployed to the Canyon Fire. As of Friday morning, it was listed as 0% contained.

The Canyon Fire is burning north of Castaic Lake, where the Hughes Fire burned more than 10,000 acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations earlier this year.

More than 4,200 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Los Angeles County as of Thursday night, and another 12,000 were under evacuation warnings.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger urged residents in the area to heed evacuation orders.

“Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,” Barger said in a statement to the Associated Press. “If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.”

Gifford Fire nears ‘megafire’ status

The Canyon Fire is the latest in what has already been a busy wildfire season in California. According to Cal Fire, there are currently 13 active wildfires burning in the state, including the massive Gifford Fire in central California.

That fire started north of Santa Maria on Aug. 1 and has scorched more than 99,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest, forcing thousands of evacuations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The Gifford Fire will likely become the first fire in California this year to reach “megafire” status, a term reserved for fires exceeding 100,000 acres.

Three civilians and four firefighters have been injured by the fire, according to officials.

More than 3,400 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, which was just 15% contained as of Thursday evening.

Bone-dry conditions amid an ongoing heat wave are not helping.

According to the National Weather Service, parts of central California will see triple-digit highs through the weekend, with relative humidity readings as low as 15%.

See more photos of the Canyon Fire below.

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