Thunderstorms slammed the northern reaches of Los Angeles County on Wednesday amid a continuing heat wave and elevated humidity, with lighting sparking a series of brush fires in and around Santa Clarita and Castaic.
Los Angeles County and Angeles National Forest crews used two Super Scoopers and three helicopters to battle at least four fires.
A Los Angeles County fire dispatcher said the blazes had been contained and crews were just “mopping up” around 8 p.m. He could not confirm the total acreage burned.
The series of fires near Castaic Lake were dubbed the Lake Complex Fire by officials.
One fire, reported at 2:43 p.m. and designated the Hopper Fire, burned in the Cordova Ranch area to the west side of the dam, Los Angeles County Fire Department Supervisor Cheryl Sims said. By early evening it had burned about seven acres, authorities said.
At least one structure was damaged by another fire near Wayside Honor Rancho, which had burned roughly five acres by early evening. No injuries were reported.
Angeles National Forest officials said about two acres burned near the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway near Smokey Bear Road. That fire was knocked down earlier in the day, according to spokesman John Wagner.
— City News Service