On Friday, firefighters were intensively working to combat the Canyon Fire, which has rapidly expanded to nearly 5,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for residents in northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, stated, “We’re trying to build a box around this fire and put it out before it gets into any of the potential communities that are currently under evacuation orders.” The urgency of the situation has heightened as the Canyon Fire became the largest among several fires ignited by a prolonged period of intense heat in Southern California.
To the north in San Luis Obispo County, the significantly larger Gifford Fire has consumed about 100,000 acres. The Canyon Fire ignited amid soaring temperatures, reaching around 100 degrees. Fortunately, a slight weakening of the high-pressure system, coupled with an increase in onshore flow, is expected to lower temperatures by 1 to 3 degrees over the weekend. However, warmer valleys may still see temperatures exceed 100 degrees.
Current weather models predict a return to warmer conditions by Monday, likely mirroring the high temperatures experienced on Thursday. A forecast from the weather service noted, “Although a few degrees of cooling is expected through the weekend, a very warm air mass will remain in place. An onshore flow regime will keep temperatures from exceeding record levels, but temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal normals as high pressure lingers over the Southwestern United States.”
The Canyon Fire broke out around 2 p.m. Thursday near Holser Canyon Road, northeast of Piru, a small unincorporated town close to Castaic Junction. Initially reported at around 30 acres, the fire's size escalated to over 1,000 acres within just two hours. By Friday morning, the fire had expanded to 4,856 acres and was advancing eastward toward Castaic and Interstate 5 in Los Angeles County. As of that time, the fire was 0% contained, with at least 400 firefighters engaged in the battle, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Dowd reported, “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 helicopters.” Despite the challenges, progress is being made as firefighting crews work tirelessly to manage the situation. As midnight approached, approximately 2,500 residents and 700 structures remained under evacuation orders, while an additional 14,000 people and over 4,700 structures were under evacuation warnings, according to Dowd.
Fire departments from both Ventura and Los Angeles counties are actively responding to the scene, where firefighters contend with temperatures reaching 100 degrees and wind gusts up to 25 mph, as reported by the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office. A total of around 250 firefighters, along with 11 fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters, are currently engaged in containing the fire.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Santa Clarita Valley, has urged residents to take evacuation alerts seriously. “Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,” Barger stated. “If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation. The Eaton Fire showed us how quickly devastation can strike.”
An evacuation center has been established at the East Gymnasium of the College of the Canyons, located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Additionally, the Lake Piru Recreation Area is closed until further notice, along with Piru Canyon Road, which connects the town of Piru to the lake.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has expressed concerns regarding the fire's proximity to the Pitchess Detention Center, which houses approximately 5,000 inmates across four jails. The facility lies east of the 5 Freeway and was just outside the evacuation warning zone on Thursday evening. Senior staff attorney Melissa Camacho voiced her grave concerns about the escalating fire, recalling a similar situation where the Hughes fire burned within a half-mile of the jails without any evacuations for those incarcerated. “It’s heartbreaking that, less than eight months later, the 5,000 people in the jails and their loved ones will spend another sleepless night watching a fire and praying that it doesn’t reach them,” Camacho lamented.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees the facility, has stated that it is actively monitoring fire conditions and is maintaining constant communication with fire and county officials to ensure the safety of the inmates and surrounding community.
