Firefighters advance on blaze that shut I-5 near Castaic

CASTAIC (AP) — Firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that jumped across Interstate 5 and spread across dry hillsides while a new blaze forced residents of a Northern California community to evacuate.

The fire broke out, Saturday afternoon, near Castaic. Pushed by 10- to 15-mph winds, the blaze chewed through tinder-dry brush and jumped across the busy freeway, spread across more than a half of a square mile.

The California Highway Patrol closed a stretch of the interstate for several hours as air tankers dropped bright-orange retardant on the flames. A large flareup sent heavy smoke drifting toward freeway lanes Sunday afternoon, the CHP reported.

Two firefighters were taken to the hospital to treat burn injuries, said Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Angeles National Forest.

The fire remained uncontained due to the mountainous terrain, but firefighters made progress overnight with the help of water-dropping aircraft and an aggressive ground attack, Mitchell said.

He said crews will take advantage of the beginning of a cooling trend Sunday to build containment lines.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Meanwhile, a fire that erupted, Sunday afternoon, prompted Mendocino County authorities to evacuate parts of Calpella, a community on the Russian River about six miles north of Ukiah. Video footage posted on Twitter shows the fire pushing in the direction of Lake Mendocino.

Further north, residents of a mountain town devastated by the huge Caldor Fire south of Lake Tahoe were allowed back Sunday to inspect the damage.