CANYON FIRE CHAOS

Raging Wildfire Sparks Emergency Evacuation Orders for Thousands

The Canyon Fire spread to 1,500 acres in hours, forcing 16,000 people to flee.

A blazing wildfire sparked an emergency evacuation Thursday, causing thousands of residents to leave their homes. Southern California firefighters were battling to tame the blaze, dubbed the “Canyon Fire,” near Lake Piru, a reservoir around 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, after it expanded from 30 to roughly 1,500 acres in just a few hours, according to the New York Times. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued to more than 16,000 Ventura and Los Angeles County residents as triple-digit heat and tinder-dry brush drove flames toward the Santa Clarita suburb of Valencia—though Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park remained outside the danger zone. Around 150 firefighters mounted what county spokesman Andrew Dowd called a “significant initial attack,” while reinforcements were summoned overnight with temperatures hovering near 100°F. Supervisor Kathryn Barger used X to urge locals to leave “when first responders say GO,” the Red Cross opened a shelter at College of the Canyons, and Pierce College readied stalls for displaced horses. The Canyon Fire erupted as the Gifford Fire farther north topped 99,000 acres and stayed only 15 percent contained.