A brush fire rapidly spread across parts of Southern California on Thursday, prompting evacuations as firefighting crews worked to contain the blaze.
The Canyon Fire ignited on Thursday afternoon east of Lake Piru in Ventura County, initially covering about 50 acres before expanding to over 1,000 acres, according to fire officials. The fire originated north of Highway 126 east of Los Angeles County before extending into the county.
Evacuation orders were issued for the Lake Piru Recreation Area and surrounding areas, with ranches in the west end of Holser Canyon placed on evacuation warning. Additionally, parts of Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders and warnings.
“The Canyon Fire is currently burning between Los Angeles County and Ventura County in the Piru Lake area. Several zones are under evacuation order and warning,” stated the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Water-dropping aircraft were deployed to combat the fire, with firefighters utilizing Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest to refill firefighting aircraft.
The Canyon Fire was one of multiple wildfires burning in Southern California on Thursday, although the cause of these fires remained unclear.
This incident follows a series of wildfires that ravaged Southern California earlier in the year, burning over 50,000 acres, destroying more than 18,000 structures, and resulting in at least 30 fatalities. Around 200,000 individuals were forced to evacuate as a result.
Throughout this year, California has reported over 4,400 wildfires, surpassing the 3,800 wildfires reported at the same time last year. The total acreage burned so far this year exceeds 221,100 acres, compared to 83,200 acres burned up to July of the previous year.
