Weeklong Tick Fire fully contained

One week after the Tick Fire began, fire officials reported having finally managed to fully contain it as of 6 a.m. Thursday.

The Tick Fire began on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 1:24 p.m., near the intersection of Tick Canyon Road and Summit Knoll Road and throughout the week burned 4,615 acres, destroyed 23 homes and damaged 40 others.

Taking no chances, officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department left at least 122 firefighters at the fire scene Thursday to begin the “demobilization process,” they said in their daily update released at 7 a.m.

The Tick Fire was fanned by two strong wind events, each eliciting a red flag warning by weather officials — once when the fire started and the last warning issued Wednesday when strong winds returned.

During both red flag warnings, in a cautionary move to prevent further wildfires, Southern California Edison shut off power to thousands of residents in the Shadow Pines neighborhood, Agua Dulce, Green Valley, Leona Valley and San Francisquito Canyon.

At the height of the fire, 10,000 homes along the northeastern edge of the Santa Clarita Valley were threatened.

When it began, strike teams from across California and out of state were called in to help, establishing themselves

in Central Park, which was closed as a result to the public.

When it ended, the fire had found a place in local history as having sparked the largest evacuation in the history of the Santa Clarita Valley, with 40,000 people forced from their homes.

Two evacuation centers were set up College of the Canyons and at West Ranch High School.

On Wednesday, city and county officials opened the doors of the Santa Clarita Activities Center on Centre Pointe Parkway, creating a Local Assistance Center for those affected by the fire.

All evacuation orders were lifted at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Despite the widespread destruction — from Agua Dulce to Val Verde — there was no report of injury to residents.

The cause of the fire remains unknown as fire source investigators with the Fire Department continue their probe.