Crews battled a fast-moving Southern California wildfire that started north of Santa Clarita on Aug. 7 and is threatening powerlines and the communities of Halsey Canyon and Hathaway Ranch, authorities reported.
The Canyon Fire was burning in an area straddling Los Angeles and Ventura counties and reached 5,370 acres and was 25 percent contained by the afternoon of Aug. 8, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
About 400 fire personnel from the Los Angeles and Ventura fire departments fought the flames as an extreme heat warning blanketed the fire zone. Crews from the Angeles National Forest and Cal Fire assisted.
Temperatures climbed into the high 90s on Aug. 8, with variable winds and gusts of about 15 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Humidity only reached about 15 percent in the area.
The fire broke out about 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and burned in a remote area east of Lake Piru. The flames spread rapidly, with the help of wind gusts.
The blaze continued to burn north of Highway 126 and west of Castaic, Calif., but moved away from Piru on Aug. 8, Cal Fire reported.
The fire crossed into Los Angeles County and continued to spread east toward the community of Val Verde, according to authorities.
One structure was destroyed, but no homes burned, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
The fire companies were “actively working to develop and implement a long-term strategy to contain and suppress the fire,” Cal Fire reported.
Multiple evacuation orders of more than 4,300 residents were issued for communities around the burn zone. Another 12,000 remained under evacuation warnings.
Authorities also ordered multiple strike teams of engines, hand crews, and bulldozers, according to Cal Fire.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state had secured a fire management assistance grant from the federal government to help ensure vital resources were available to fight the Canyon Fire.
“Thank you to the brave men and women who are fighting the Canyon Fire and other wildfires throughout the state,” Newsom said in a statement. “This assistance will help our partners protect California communities.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area and chairs the Board of Supervisors, issued an emergency proclamation aimed at ensuring crews had the resources they needed to fight the fire.
“I am in close contact with emergency officials as we track the Canyon Fire’s progress,” Barger posted on Facebook the day the fire started. “Extreme heat and low humidity in North County have created dangerous conditions where the flames can spread with alarming speed.”
The Red Cross in Los Angeles set up an evacuation center at the College of the Canyons for residents impacted by the fire. Service animals were also welcome.
Gifford Fire burns 30,000 acres in Los Padres National Forest on Aug. 2, 2025. (Benjamin Hanson/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
A large animal evacuation center was also opened at Pierce College, and small animals were accepted at the Castaic or Agoura animal care centers, according to Barger.
The Gifford Fire in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties also continued to spread this week, reaching nearly 100,000 acres and about 15 percent containment Aug. 8.
Three civilians and four firefighters have been injured since the fire started in the Los Padres National Forest on Aug. 1. Nearly 3,000 structures were still threatened.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
