Rapidly growing wildfire in Los Angeles County prompts evacuations in remote high desert
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A rapidly spreading fire prompted evacuation orders in a sparsely populated area of Los Angeles County Friday afternoon.
The brush fire sparked around 1 p.m. under dry, scorching hot conditions in a remote high desert area about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, according to the L.A. County Fire Department. Temperatures in the area rose to almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Angeles National Forest officials said in a statement on social media platform X that the fire had reached approximately 2,700 acres (1,092 hectares) by evening. It is unclear how many buildings are threatened by the fire.
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The American Red Cross opened a shelter at the YMCA in Los Angeles County.
The closest town to its east is Piñon Hills, a census-designated community of about 7,200 people in San Bernardino County. Parts of the town were under an evacuation warning Friday evening.
Most of the US enters heat wave This weekend is due to an unusually strong and long-lasting heat dome that will further increase the already high risk of wildfire this year in many drought-affected areas. Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal in some areas.
