Evacuation orders remained in place and firefighters worked to increase containment lines overnight as a brush fire in the Gorman area north of Los Angeles grew to 14,625 acres. Lauren Coronado reports for Today in LA on Monday June 17, 2024.
What to Know
- The Post Fire started Saturday afternoon near the southbound 5 Freeway in northern LA County.
- The fire grew to more than 15,000 acres and spread into Ventura County over the weekend.
- Strong winds are fanning flames Monday as firefighters work to increase containment.
Evacuation orders remained in place and firefighters worked to increase containment lines overnight as a brush fire in the Gorman area north of Los Angeles grew to more than 15,000 acres.
The Post Fire was burning near the southbound 5 Freeway and Gorman Road. The blaze, one of several over the weekend in Southern California, was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, according to Cal Fire.
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The fire was estimated at 10,500 acres early Sunday, more that double the estimated size reported late Saturday, and grew larger during a day of strong winds. As of Sunday 8 p.m., it was 2 percent contained, but that figure jumped to 8 percent by Monday morning when the fire was nearly 15,000 acres.
The fire was threatening nearby buildings and led to the evacuation of about 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. Pyramid Lake was also closed.
One commercial property was destroyed and 10 others were threatened, according to Cal Fire. Fifty homes were threatened by the fire.
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A Red Flag Warning was issued the 5 Freeway corridor in L.A. County mountains until 6 p.m. Tuesday due to strong northwest- north winds and low humidity. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were in the forecast with stronger gusts along ridgetops.
"Firefighters are engaged in a wildland fire in Gorman near Hungry Valley Park, moving southeast towards Lake Pyramid," Cal Fire said in a Sunday update. "Currently crews are working to construct perimeter fire lines around the flakes of the fire. Aircraft are working to stop forward progress but have limited visibility. Currently the fire is pushing up into Hungry Valley Park."
Evacuation orders
The LA County Fire Department announced on X that structures were being threatened and evacuation orders were in place for the following areas:
- Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Areas west of the McDonald's at 49000 Gorman School Road.
Evacuation warnings
- Areas south of Pyramid Lake between Old Ridge Route and the LA County line, including Paradise Ranch Estates.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station, the town of Castaic has been placed on an "Evacuation Warning" due to expected high winds Saturday night.
The blaze comes as the Southland faces an increase in winds, creating challenging conditions for firefighters.
“The high winds are definitely going to play a role, but the drop in temperatures is going to help, as well," said Craig Little, a Public Information Officer with LA County Fire.
The fire comes as crews in Hesperia respond to a separate brush fire and another blaze in Lancaster.
Air quality
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a Wildfire Smoke Advisory due to smoke from the Post Fire. Northwesterly winds were expected to push smoke southeast toward Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, and parts of the Angeles National Forest on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Those in affected areas are encouraged to limit their exposure to the outdoors. If one must be outside, it's advised to wear a properly fitting N95 mask or P100 respirator.
