Fire control is progressing in the Canyon Fire of California, allowing authorities to rescind evacuation notices.
The Canyon Fire and the Gifford Fire, two wildfires that have been ravaging California, are still under active management, with containment progressing but not yet fully controlled.
The Canyon Fire, located north of Highway 126 west of Castaic and crossing Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, started on August 7, 2025. Initially, it burned approximately 600 acres with 0% containment. However, by August 8, it had expanded to over 5,300 acres, and firefighters had reached 28% containment. By August 10, containment increased further to 62%, with many evacuation orders lifted. Despite the progress, a local emergency was declared in Los Angeles County due to the fire’s impact. The fire remains active, with unified command by Ventura and Los Angeles County Fire Departments, and the cause is under investigation.
Meanwhile, the Gifford Fire in Los Padres National Forest has been the largest wildfire in California this year, burning about 131,589 acres across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It started on August 1, 2025. As of August 18, 2025, containment reached 91%. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect for multiple zones under unified command by Los Padres National Forest, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, and CAL FIRE. The fire is still active, with full cause also under investigation.
The Canyon Fire grew to over 5,000 acres in a matter of hours and was 25% contained as of Friday morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Gifford Fire, which started amid a heatwave, had burned over 5,370 acres as of Sunday, according to Cal Fire. As of Sunday morning, the Gifford Fire was 21% contained.
The fire spread into Los Angeles County, endangering homes and forcing thousands of evacuations near the city of Castaic over the weekend. Many residents of Ventura County were initially under evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, which have all been canceled. All evacuation warnings in Los Angeles and Ventura counties have been lifted as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The emergency declaration issued by officials grants authorities the flexibility to "coordinate across agencies, mobilize additional firefighting personnel and equipment, and streamline procurement processes." More than 1,100 firefighters are working to contain the Canyon Fire, and the Gifford Fire is currently being fought by 1,500 firefighters.
The fires broke out in extremely hot weather, accompanied by minimal humidity, which officials said are ideal conditions for the flames to increase. A local emergency proclamation was issued by officials on Thursday, enabling the county to expedite access to critical resources for firefighting and recovery efforts.
In France, a separate wildfire has resulted in one death and 11 injuries, according to reports, but no new location or size information is provided.
This article was contributed to by Alex Stone.
Table:
| Fire Name | Location | Size (Acres) | Containment % | Status | Notes | |-------------|-----------------------------------|--------------|---------------|--------------|------------------------------------------| | Canyon Fire | N of Hwy 126, LA & Ventura Counties | ~5,300+ | 62% (Aug 10) | Active | Evacuation orders mostly lifted; local emergency declared | | Gifford Fire| Los Padres NF (SLO & Santa Barbara counties) | 131,589 | 91% (Aug 18) | Active | Multiple evacuation orders; largest CA fire in 2025 |
Weather conditions, characterized by high temperatures and low humidity, are ideal for both the Canyon Fire and the Gifford Fire to spread rapidly. Internationally, a wildfire in France has caused one death and 11 injuries.
Despite the progress in controlling the Canyon and Gifford Fires, with over a thousand firefighters working tirelessly, a local emergency was declared in Los Angeles County due to the fires' impact.
