The Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, Kathryn Barger, in a post on X, wrote that the California Canyon fire is spreading quickly and urged the citizens to take the evacuation order seriously.
A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles ignited and spread quickly Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations.
The Canyon Fire ignited around 1:30 p.m., growing to over 2.3 square miles in five hours, according to Ventura County emergency response. It remained zero percent contained late Thursday afternoon and was spreading east, the county said.
The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.
In Los Angeles County, around 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures are under an evacuation order, and another 12,500 residents are under an evacuation warning, said spokesperson Andrew Dowd for the Ventura County Fire Department.
A California Department of Corrections fire crew looks on as the Canyon Fire burns on Thursday in Halsey Canyon, California. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County are relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area.
Dowd said the fire was a “very dynamic situation” caused by hot, dry weather, steep and rugged terrain and dry fuel. There were 250 firefighters on the ground coordinating with helicopters and other air support, he said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate.
“Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,” Barger said in a statement. “If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation.”
A California Department of Corrections fire crew battles the Canyon Fire on Thursday, in Halsey Canyon, California. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state’s largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest.
The Gifford Fire had spread to 154 square miles by Thursday afternoon and was at 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted last Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation.
A resident rides a golf cart as he exits his property while the Canyon Fire burns on Thursday in Halsey Canyon, California. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state.
“In Southern California, the threat is driven by persistent drought, high grass loads, and weakening coastal moisture,” according to a wildfire forecast by the state’s fire department.
The #CanyonFire is spreading fast under extreme heat & dry conditions near Ventura–LA County line. If you’re in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously — when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware–please don’t risk lives. pic.twitter.com/2sHfVG63pq
— Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@kathrynbarger) August 7, 2025
Central California Wildfire
IAN reported on Wednesday, citing authorities, that hundreds of structures are threatened by a fast-moving wildfire that had scorched about 332 square km in less than five days in Central California. The wildfire, dubbed the ‘Gifford Fire,’ broke out Friday afternoon when four separate ignitions along a California highway merged into a single wildfire currently burning on the Santa Lucia Road in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, according to the US Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire has also prompted evacuation orders for residents in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
There are over 1,900 personnel assigned to the fire, alongside 40 hand crews, 115 engines, 23 dozers, and 30 water tenders supported by air tankers and helicopters, according to a US interagency all-risk incident information management system, InciWeb.
The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office said that the smoke would affect parts of Southwest California and noted that wildfire smoke is a health risk.
Canyon Fire Evacuation Details
Evacuation orders were issued in Ventura County and Los Angeles County as the fire spread rapidly. Here are the details of the evacuation orders issued as a result of the Canyon Fire.
Ventura County
Level 3 Warning: A Level 3 warning, asking residents to vacate the area immediately, was issued for several areas around Lake Piru. The areas immediately north and south of Lake Piru fell under the Level 3 warning.
Level 2 Warning: Additionally, the areas further north and south were also placed under a Level 2 Evacuation warning.
Check the evacuation map for Ventura County here.
Los Angeles County
The LA County lies to the east of the Canyon Fire and evacuation orders have been issued for several areas in the western parts of Los Angeles County.
Level 3 warning: Oaks Canyon and Val Verde in LA County were placed under a Level 3 evacuation warning.
Level 2 warning: Hasley and Romero in LA County was placed under a Level 2 Evacuation warning.
Incident Update
An active fire response is on in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties as the wildfire spreads rapidly east. According to radio traffic, additional firefighting resources have been requested to support efforts on the ground.
These include 5 type 3 engine strike teams, totaling 25 engines, 3 dozer strike teams with 6 bulldozers, and 1 hand crew strike team made up of 2 crews. In addition, Air Attack has called for 2 more type 1 air tankers to assist from the air.
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