A wind-fueled brush fire scorched at least 500 acres in the Santa Clarita area Tuesday, prompting some evacuations and the closure of a section of the Golden State (5) Freeway and State Route 126 in the area as a precaution.
The fire was reported about 9:35 a.m. near the 2500 block of Rye Canyon Loop, near highway 126, also known as Newhall Ranch Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
No structures were immediately threatened by the so-called Rye Fire, and no injuries were reported.
About 250 firefighters were working to extinguish the fire, which was burning in light to medium fuels amid gusting Santa Ana winds.
The 5 Freeway was closed in both directions near SR 126, and Rye Canyon Loop was also closed, along with SR 126 from Copperhill Drive to the 5 Freeway.
According to the sheriff’s department, evacuations were ordered late Tuesday morning along Rye Canyon Loop and Kelly Johnson Parkway.
Power was interrupted to 2,090 customers in the Santa Clarita area, according to Southern California Edison. Due to the outages, and some 9-1-1 calls to the sheriff’s Santa Clarita station were being re-routed, the sheriff’s department reported.
–City News Service