Los Angeles fire burns 14,600 acres, pollutes air over Southern California

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

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Jon Putman / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images

UPDATE Sunday evening: The post-fire near Tajon Pass and Pyramid Lake grew to more than 14,600 acres and was only 2% contained as of Sunday evening, meaning little progress has been made on that metric over the of the day.

Winds blew smoke throughout the San Fernando Valley and the west side of Los Angeles, reducing air quality and creating a brown haze that covered much of the area, with some reports of smoke extending to San Diego.

The forecast for Monday was not promising, as the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Fort Tejon area that read: “Very strong northwest to north winds and relative humidity values of almost 10% are planned. The strongest winds are expected tonight and Monday, with sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts near 55 mph. Los Angeles County firefighters said winds were expected to peak Monday afternoon.

According to the NWS, “a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are currently occurring or will occur shortly. »

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory for Santa Clarita, Gorman, the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Tujunga and the Angeles National Forest.

On Sunday, the fire spread south and first entered Ventura County, burning about 2,000 acres of wilderness in the southeastern part of the Las Padres National Forest.

UPDATE Sunday: A wildfire in Southern California doubled in size overnight. The Post Fire, located in Tejon Pass north of Los Angeles, had grown to more than 12,000 acres as of Sunday with 2% containment, according to Cal Fire.

The fire burned an auto repair shop, damaged another building and threatened other structures south and west of I-5, authorities said.

The fire is located parallel to Interstate 5 in Los Angeles County, causing the highway to be briefly closed Saturday, triggering a traffic jam in the area, officials said.

More than 1,000 campers from a park near the fire were evacuated.

The fire started shortly before 2 p.m. PT in the area on Saturday. Gusts of wind fanned the flames, which quickly spread.

At least two structures were damaged by the fire, Cal Fire said. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Sunday. More than 300 firefighters, including air tanker crews, are battling the blaze from the ground and the sky, authorities said.