A 400-acre brush fire burning in Ventura County Thursday afternoon triggered evacuations in Piru and put nearby communities in the Santa Clarita Valley on high alert amid a major heat wave that officials warn could foster extreme fire growth and behavior.
The Canyon fire broke out around 2 p.m. near Holser Canyon Road, northeast of Piru — a small, unincorporated town not far from Castaic Junction, where Interstate 5 meets Highway 126, according to Ventura County officials. The fire was initially reported to be about 30 acres, but within minutes that estimate jumped to 409 acres.
Both the Ventura and Los Angeles County fire departments were responding to the scene.
The fire was growing rapidly as of 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office. Officials there said the area was facing temperatures up to 100 degrees with wind gusts up to 25 mph.
Ventura County officials issued evacuation orders for the Lake Piru Recreation Area, as well as communities south into Piru and east to the L.A. County line. A few communities southwest of Castaic were under evacuation warnings, according to L.A. County evacuation maps.
Officials said the fire appeared to be headed away from the community of Piru.
This is a developing story and will be updated.