<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Firefighters in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles made good progress in their battle against a brush fire that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, officials said on Friday (local time).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Canyon Fire ignited on Thursday afternoon and spread rapidly in the dry, steep terrain in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to more than 22 square kilometers. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was 25 per cent contained as of Friday afternoon, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/apollo-13-tom-hanks-who-portrayed-jim-lovell-in-apollo-13-pays-tribute-to-the-late-astronaut-jim-lovell/32a4ad27-359c-4a73-b1ba-d5f70cb86970"><strong><span>Tom Hanks, who portrayed Jim Lovell in 'Apollo 13,' pays tribute to the late astronaut</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At least 400 personnel battled the blaze along with several planes and helicopters, county fire department public information officer Andrew Dowd said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s close to Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/teen-under-police-guard-after-pursuit-through-western-sydney/34290feb-54ed-4ef6-80b7-08287151747e"><strong><span>Teen charged after pursuit through western Sydney</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/usa-california-firefighters-make-progress-against-blaze-that-forced-thousands-to-flee/0081af84-7f2f-498b-90cf-21c940249a07" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That fire burned about 39 square kilometers in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Firefighters battling the Canyon Fire took advantage of lower temperatures overnight to directly attack the fire and made lots of progress, Dowd said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>By Friday morning, they were seeing subdued fire behavior, he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With 100-degree temperatures and strong winds, firefighters faced a “tough firefight” on Thursday, Dowd said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“They were putting it all on the line to bring this fire under control,” he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One firefighter reported a minor injury, but no civilian injuries were reported, Dowd said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>No single-family or multi-family residences were destroyed, but two minor structures were destroyed, he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sunny, hot and dry conditions were expected on Friday in the area where the Canyon Fire was burning, with the daytime high near 38 degrees Celsius and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Winds were expected to be light in the morning and grow from the south to southwest in the afternoon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The wind was expected to stick around onFriday, but at a slightly lower magnitude, according to Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Oxnard. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The humidity was expected to remain low, and the fuels were very dry and receptive to burning quickly, he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Given these conditions, people should be very careful to avoid sparks, he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“These fires can start and grow pretty rapidly because of how dry everything is and how hot everything is,” he said.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/08/08/08/47/today-in-history-august-9-what-happened-on-this-day-nagasaki-bombings"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/8QSn_PmKqJcUPxYbMFCpEsoaHRQ=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb8dba7cd-db48-4dde-b844-a8ae89fb2349" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/8QSn_PmKqJcUPxYbMFCpEsoaHRQ=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb8dba7cd-db48-4dde-b844-a8ae89fb2349 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/sLNhy2ocCTRwUdWZMo4ySUrY_mQ=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb8dba7cd-db48-4dde-b844-a8ae89fb2349 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Simple twist of fate saves city from complete destruction</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/08/08/08/47/today-in-history-august-9-what-happened-on-this-day-nagasaki-bombings">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In LA County, around 2,700 residents evacuated with 700 structures under an evacuation order, officials said late on nThursday. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were covered by an evacuation warning. Areas within the Val Verde zone had been reduced from an order to a warning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“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. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Gifford Fire had spread to 402 square kilometers by Friday morning with 15 per cent containment. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted August 1 along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state.</span></div></div>