Fire ravaging Canyon area next to Lake Piru in California expands to 5,300 acres; evacuation mandates and alerts no longer in effect.
The Canyon Fire, which erupted near Holser Canyon north of Piru community, has been burning in Ventura and Los Angeles counties since Thursday. The blaze has threatened power lines and communities such as Hasley Canyon and Hathaway Ranch, and has spread east towards the Castaic area.
The fire has prompted evacuation orders and warnings for thousands of residents in multiple zones across both counties. Evacuation orders were issued for several zones in Ventura County including the Lake Piru Recreation Area, and in Los Angeles County for areas such as Val Verde, Oak Canyon, Hasley Canyon, and Romero Canyons.
At its peak, about 600 firefighters and seven water-dropping helicopters were assigned to the Canyon Fire incident. Firefighters battled the blaze under challenging conditions with temperatures reaching 100°F and wind gusts of up to 25 mph, using aggressive fire attack tactics involving water and retardant drops from aircraft.
By August 10, the fire was reported to be 91% contained, with ongoing monitoring and mop-up operations continuing overnight. The exact number of residents affected by the evacuation orders and warnings is unclear, but initial estimates suggest that about 2,500 residents and 700 structures were under evacuation orders, with an additional 14,000 residents and over 4,700 structures under evacuation warnings. Some evacuation zones were later reduced to warnings as containment improved.
The Canyon Fire has burned approximately 5,370 acres, and the Fire Management Assistance Grant, announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will provide federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs for the Canyon Fire.
Crews from the Ventura County Fire Department and LA County Fire Department are operating in unified command, and Chelsea Hylton, a web producer for our Los Angeles, covered the Canyon Fire. Before joining our team in 2024, Chelsea Hylton worked at NBC LA, Telemundo 52, The Los Angeles Times, and KOMO 4 News in Seattle.
Evacuation shelters have been established, including one at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita for residents, and separate facilities for large and small animals in Woodland Hills, Castaic, and Agoura Hills. Residents are urged to monitor evacuation status online and sign up for emergency notifications.
For detailed information on the evacuations in Ventura County, visit the Incident Map and Dashboard. For detailed information on the evacuations in Los Angeles County, visit Cal Fire.
[1] Ventura County Fire Department Incident Map and Dashboard: https://www.vcfiredash.com/ [2] Cal Fire: https://www.fire.ca.gov/ [3] LA County Fire Department: https://www.lacounty.gov/gov/operations/fire/ [4] College of the Canyons Evacuation Centre: https://www.canyons.edu/about/campuses/santa-clarita/evacuation-centre [5] Animal Evacuation Centres: https://www.vca-hospitals.com/our-hospitals/animal-hospitals/california/los-angeles/animal-evacuation-centers
Breaking news: Thousands of residents in Ventura and Los Angeles counties face evacuation orders due to the Canyon Fire, which has continued to burn since Thursday, threatening power lines, communities, and spreading towards the Castaic area. The weather, with temperatures reaching 100°F and wind gusts of up to 25 mph, is a general-news concern as firefighters battle the blaze. For updated information, visit the Incident Map and Dashboard for Ventura County, Cal Fire for Los Angeles County, the LA County Fire Department, College of the Canyons Evacuation Centre, or the Animal Evacuation Centres.
