The Los Angeles County Fire Department says about 10,000 homes have been evacuated as crews protect mountain and canyon communities from a ferocious wildfire that’s destroyed 18 houses.
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The so-called Sand Fire has charred at least 130 square km around the rugged northwestern fringes of the Angeles National Forest since it broke out on Friday, and remained just 10 percent contained on Monday, authorities said.
While more than 3,000 firefighters have been battling the Sand Fire, one of their own lost his home to the flames Saturday..
Residents were ordered to leave their homes on Agua Dulce Canyon Road north to the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway, Crown Valley north to the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway and all of Soledad Canyon between those two areas.
Firefighters discovered the man’s body in a compact sedan in a home’s driveway as they traveled along Santa Clarita’s Iron Canyon Road on Saturday night. Authorities said he may have died trying to escape the fire.
About 10,000 homes have been evacuated as of Monday morning. John Tripp, incident commander with the LAFD told ABC-7, “That fire came through like a freight train…We’ve never seen a fire come into Sand Canyon like that and neither have those residents”.
As winds fanned the flames of the Santa Clarita blaze, another fire to the north had also grown to 2,000 acres, forcing residents there to flee.
All evacuees are now being directed to Hart High School, located at 24825 Newhall Avenue in Santa Clarita.
The two blazes sent smoke as far away as Nevada, where officials issued air pollution warnings.
In the last week nearly 20 homes have been destroyed and one death has been confirmed.
By comparison, the 2003 Cedar Fire ranks as the biggest on record in the state.
The mountainous terrain has complicated firefighters’ efforts to battle the blaze and forced them to rely on aircraft and bulldozer lines to fight the fire.
Deputies and officers are stationed at various traffic points because fire or law enforcement officials need to be in that area so they can do their job safely, he said.
Lois Wash, 87, said she and her daughter and her dog evacuated, but her husband refused.
The raging Sand fire in Southern California shows no signs of abating as almost 1,600 firefighting personnel try to contain the blaze.
The Placerita Nature Center was also evacuated.
The fire destroyed a western town set on the Sable Ranch, a well-known and well-used filming location. “100 feet tall, I mean full tornado fire, spinning, nothing like I’ve ever seen close up”.
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Susan Hartland, executive director of Wildlife Waystation, looked through glass doors at the sanctuary in the Angeles National Forest on Monday and saw a plume of smoke coming from the back of a mountain.
