Evacuations ordered near Los Angeles as wildfire rages

“These are not normal times”.

The Sand Fire is under unified Command, Mike Wakoski commanding with John Tripp, Deputy Fire Chief, Los Angeles County Fire, Roosevelt Johnson, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “You need to be ready, in case we ask you to evacuate'”. At least one firefighter suffered a minor injury and one structure was destroyed in the fire.

Some 100 commercial buildings in the path of the fire are under mandatory evacuation orders, fire officials said. We want to save the animals. One fatality has been reported, but it is not yet clear if it is fire-related.

There appears to be no crime involved, Navarro-Suarez said.

Detectives will try to determine whether the person died from the fire or from other causes. The victim’s age and identity were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Hundreds of residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

The California Highway Patrol tweeted that the 14 Freeway was closed to traffic in both directions because of the fire threat. By late Saturday night the Southern California blaze was 10 per cent contained.

Others turned to the classics, saying the red skies recalled Pompeii or the barren landscapes made famous in the post-apocalyptic novel “The Road”.

The blaze has forced the closure of a 40-mile stretch of State Route 14, known as the Antelope Valley Freeway. “Our goal is to make sure that human life is protected at all costs”.

Fire crews attempted to dig lines to halt the fast-moving fire, but the mountainous area proved problematic, according to Nathan Judy, fire information officer with the Angeles National Forest. Some offices were reportedly able to be salvaged, but the set is gone.

The iPhone’s weather app described the Los Angeles forecast as “Smoke”.

Near Santa Clarita, residents of some 1,500 homes have been evacuated and authorities have found a burned body in a neighborhood. Large animals can be evacuated to Hansen Dam in Sylmar or the Jack Bones Equestrian Center, 26983 Tapia Canyon Road Castaic. The Fairgrounds are located at 2551 W. Avenue H in Lancaster.

About 400 animals were being evacuated from the Wildlife Waystation, a nonprofit sanctuary for rescued exotic creatures within the national forest.

Sand Canyon Road east of Placerita Canyon to 12300 Little Tujunga. By early today, however, it looked like the facility would be spared any fire damage.

The fire already destroyed Old West-style buildings used for movie locations at the Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita.

Sunday’s forecast would not ease the battle, with hot weather, low humidity and afternoon and evening winds gusting to 20 miles per hour that could once again fan the fires’ explosive growth. Shifting winds sent smoke away from greater Los Angeles and into desert communities, where residents were warned about poor air quality.

Smoke and ash from the fire cast a pall over neighboring Los Angeles.

Authorities have issued an advisory warning that air quality may reach unhealthy levels in central Los Angeles and adjacent valleys.