Santa Clarita fire burns many structures, threatens homes

LOS ANGELES — A brush fire that broke out Thursday afternoon near Santa Clarita has burned multiple structures and is threatening neighborhoods.

Firefighters were desperately trying to stall the wind-driven fire as it rapidly moved toward subdivisions in Agua Dulce. Authorities have requested more air support as the fire moved down from the hills.

Multiple lines of fire were making runs at neighborhoods, racing through open space and to the backyards of homes. Some residents could be seen using garden hoses to try to prevent the fire from getting to their homes. But in some cases, the flames were too big and the homes went ablaze.

The fire was moving downhill, parallel to the 14 Freeway and Sierra Highway into Mint Canyon, Canyon Country and Agua Dulce.

The fire was reported shortly before 1:45 p.m. along Tick Canyon Road and quickly grew to more than 850 acres, said Marvin Lim, a spokesman for the L.A. County Fire Department. By about 2:20 p.m., firefighters had called a third alarm because the blaze was threatening homes, he said.

Three hours later, the fire had grown to 3,700 acres.

Firefighters said the blaze was moving so fast it was hard to keep track of its many lines and get evacuation orders out ahead of the flames. There were immediate reports of injuries, though some residents ran for their lives as the fire approached their homes.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m., firefighters reported a separate, 3-acre blaze that was also threatening structures near the 5 Freeway and Lake Hughes Road in the Castaic area, several miles east of the Tick fire. About a half-hour later, authorities declared that the blaze was being managed as a branch of the Tick fire. A third fire broke out near Val Verde off the 5 Freeway.

Multiple structures were burning by about 3:40 p.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in an alert. Firefighters were trying to protect homes in the area of Fitch Avenue and Sierra Highway, but the blaze was “outpacing the evacuation efforts,” according to the alert.

Evacuations were being ordered from east of Sierra Highway all the way to Soledad Canyon Road after the fire jumped Sand Canyon Road.