A swiftly moving blaze leads to mass evacuation orders in the Golden State.

A wildfire northwest of Los Angeles triggered evacuation orders for thousands of residents on Friday as extreme heat and dry conditions fueled its rapid spread. The blaze, named the Canyon Fire, began on Thursday afternoon along the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties and grew from 30 acres to nearly 5,400 by Friday evening. The fire has been partially contained, with 28% of its perimeter under control late on Friday, and evacuation orders were reduced to warnings. However, on Friday night, a firefighter suffered major injuries when their truck rolled down a hillside. Despite the challenges posed by extreme heat and dry conditions, firefighters made progress in combating the blaze on Friday night due to favorable weather conditions. On Friday evening, there were still 400 firefighters battling the flames, which continued to spread east toward Castaic in Los Angeles County. Residents are being urged to remain vigilant with temperatures expected to reach 100°F (37.7°C) in the coming days. In Santa Clarita, one of the cities closest to the blaze, residents are advised to stay away from fire-affected areas and take evacuation orders seriously. The Canyon Fire is not the only active wildfire in California, with the Gifford Fire being the largest active blaze, affecting almost 100,000 acres across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The increasing frequency of wildfires in California is attributed to climate change, which has led to hotter and drier conditions, making fire seasons longer and more destructive.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2pqry4xkko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss