More than a thousand firefighters are currently engaged in battling the Post fire, which has rapidly expanded to cover 24 square miles in northern Los Angeles County.
Firefighters are diligently working to contain a blaze in north Los Angeles County that was initially reported as a small brush fire but has now grown to engulf 24 square miles as of the afternoon of June 17.
Craig Little, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, stated, “We have well over 1,100 firefighting personnel on the ground and in the air collaborating in this coordinated effort by multiple agencies. It’s truly impressive to witness both the land and air attack strategies in action.”
Following the initial report of the Post fire on Saturday afternoon, over 1,200 hikers and campers from the Hungry Valley recreation area near Gorman, California, were evacuated. Thus far, one individual has been injured, several vehicles destroyed, and a commercial building, believed to be an auto body shop, has been damaged, according to Mr. Little.
Firefighters are concentrating on maintaining a perimeter east of the fire, while aircraft are combating its advance near Pyramid Lake, though they are facing challenges due to limited visibility.
Mr. Little explained, “The area features a variety of topography, with large flatland spaces as well as steep hilly terrain, which poses difficulties for our ground troops to access the fire.”
The Post fire originated at Ralph’s Ranch and Gorman School roads near the Golden State (5) Freeway, swiftly expanding to 2,000 acres by 2:45 p.m. and 4,400 acres by 7:15 p.m., then reaching 10,500 acres by midnight. It is important to note that one square mile equals 640 acres.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued an evacuation order south of Pyramid Lake, west of the 5 Freeway, east of the county line, and just north of Templin Highway, as per Mr. Little.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with CalFire reporting in a 12:29 p.m. update that the fire is currently 8 percent contained and has expanded to 15,610 acres, extending as far south as Pyramid Lake. Mr. Little mentioned that these figures will be updated by 7 a.m. on June 18.
The National Weather Service has forecasted wind gusts of up to 60 mph overnight, which are anticipated to decrease to 25 to 45 mph on Tuesday, accompanied by warmer temperatures and high humidity.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a wildfire smoke advisory for the Castaic and Santa Clarita areas, with northwesterly winds expected to carry smoke from the fire towards Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, and parts of the Angeles National Forest.
The agency has advised residents in the vicinity to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed, refrain from using fireplaces, and avoid running air conditioners or air purifiers. They also recommended avoiding the use of swamp coolers or whole-house fans that bring in outside air, and if necessary to be outdoors, to wear a properly fitted N95 mask or P100 respirator for protection.
A separate four-acre fire in San Diego County near the Campo Truck Trail in Campo is currently 70 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. In Northern California, an 86-acre fire known as the Elgin Fire, located near Elgin Road and Henry Miller Road in Merced County, is 45 percent contained. Additionally, crews have contained 20 percent of the 1,100-acre Point Fire near Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road in Healdsburg, Sonoma County.
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