Amid soaring heat, a pair of brush fires chewed through vegetation in the northern reaches of Los Angeles County Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or structural damage.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the Woodland Fire was reported in the area of Lonesome Valley and Lost Valley roads in the Leona Valley area northeast of Bouquet reservoir and west of Palmdale. Los Angeles County and Angeles National Forest fire crews responded to the scene, with ground forces assisted by water-dropping helicopters.
Initially reported at five acres, the blaze was mapped at about 12 acres shortly before 3 p.m.
While crews were battling that fire, a second blaze erupted several miles to the southwest in Canyon Country. The Poppy Fire was reported in the area of Agua Dulce Canyon and Soledad Canyon roads and was initially estimated at about seven acres, but it grew to about 60 acres by 4 p.m., and a short time later ANF officials said it had grown to 100 acres.
Some aircraft crews that were battling the Leona Valley fire were diverted to help quell the Poppy blaze.
The cause of both fires remained under investigation.
The fires burned amid a persistent heat wave that has pushed temperatures in the Antelope Valley to triple-digits over the past week. At 3 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported a temperature of 108 degrees in Palmdale.