Southern California crews hampered by strong winds in first major wildfire of the year

Strong winds pushed flames through dry brush in mountains north of Los Angeles on Sunday, and officials warned residents in the wildfire’s path to be prepared to leave if it explodes in size again.

Los Angeles County’s first major wildfire of the year swiftly grew to nearly 60 square kilometres, one day after it forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 campers, off-roaders and hikers from the Hungry Valley recreation area.

The blaze, dubbed the Post fire, was just two per cent contained Sunday evening. No injuries were reported. The cause was under investigation.

People with helmets are shown in shadow walking toward a large orange sky in a nighttime photo.
Firefighters work against the advancing Post fire on Sunday in Gorman, Calif. Southern California officials said Sunday that wind gusts have hampered some efforts by aircraft crews to drop water and fire retardant. (Eric Thayer/The Associated Press)

Firefighters working in sweltering conditions and steep terrain raced to douse spot fires that erupted as unpredictable winds blew embers ahead of the flames, said Kenichi Haskett, a section chief for the L.A. County Fire Department. The gusts also hampered efforts by aircraft crews to drop water and fire retardant, he said.

“When it’s windy, it just sprays the water everywhere we don’t need it. So that’s a challenge,” Haskett said.

A helicopter is shown in the air, with large amounts of spray trailing it, above a landscape where individuals are seen from a distance.
Water is dropped by helicopter as crews fight the Post fire on Sunday in Lebec, Calif. (Eric Thayer/The Associated Press)

‘Have your car fuelled up’

The Southern California fire erupted Saturday afternoon near I-5 in Gorman, about 100 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles. Two structures burned within the evacuated recreation area.

Flames were moving toward Pyramid Lake, a popular destination for boaters that was closed as a precaution on Father’s Day. No houses were threatened Sunday, but officials warned residents of Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, that they should prepare to leave if the fire pushes further south.

“If you’re in a warning area, be prepared with a ‘go bag,’ with overnight clothes and your cellphone, your medicines, your glasses. Have your car fuelled up,” said Haskett. “Be ready to evacuate.”

Low humidity and gusts around 80 km/h were expected throughout the day, and winds could pick up speed after sundown, warned the National Weather Service office for Los Angeles.

A fire is seen on the ground on a property that includes what appear to be a residential bulding. A firefighter is shown in the distance.
A firefighter on Sunday sprays water on a burning building as the Point fire spreads along West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, Calif., in Sonoma County in the northern part of the state. (Noah Berger/The Associated Press)

About 120 kilometres to the east, the nearly five-square-kilometre Hesperia fire forced road closures and prompted evacuation warnings after it broke out Saturday near mountain communities in San Bernardino County. The blaze was 20 per cent contained Sunday evening.

Meanwhile in Northern California, a small wildfire sparked Sunday prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma. The so-called Point fire sent up a huge plume of dark smoke as it churned through brush and timber about 130 kilometres north of San Francisco. It was 15 per cent contained.

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