Fast-moving wildfire forces evacuations in Southern California

August 8, 2025

Los Angeles: A fast-spreading wildfire, named the Canyon Fire, prompted evacuations for communities near a canyon area in Southern California. The blaze, which began around 1:25 p.m. local time near Piru in eastern Ventura County (about 77 km northwest of Los Angeles), grew quickly to over 1,000 acres (roughly 4.05 square kilometers) with no containment in hours, according to Cal Fire. It burned about 15 square miles in six hours, placing about 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.

Authorities issued multiple evacuation orders and warnings for several communities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Cal Fire urged residents to leave immediately, describing an imminent threat to life. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger cautioned residents to take evacuation orders seriously and to depart when authorities say go.

Temperatures in the area reached around 37.8°C with humidity between 15-17%. The fire is burning south of Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest, near Lake Castaic, an area previously impacted by the Hughes Fire in January.

In Los Angeles County, roughly 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures were under evacuation orders, with another 12,500 under evacuation warnings. Fire risk is expected to remain high through the weekend as a heat wave intensifies, with August and September typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in California.