Two fires break out in Southern California in Santa Ana winds, triggering evacuations
latimes.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Two fast-moving brush fires, the Springs fire in Riverside County and the Crown fire in Los Angeles County, erupted Friday afternoon, prompting mandatory evacuations as the first major wildfires of the season in Southern California.
- The Springs fire rapidly expanded from 50 acres to 2,848 acres by mid-afternoon, driven by strong Santa Ana winds gusting up to 50 mph, and was 0% contained as of 3 p.m., with multiple fire agencies responding using aircraft, hand crews, and bulldozers.
- The Crown fire burned 280 acres near Acton, also fueled by gusty Santa Ana winds up to 55 mph, threatening structures and leading to mandatory evacuation orders in surrounding areas.
- Strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity levels between 10% and 15% are expected to persist through the weekend, increasing fire risk and complicating containment efforts despite recent rains that have kept vegetation moist.
- Authorities continue to enforce road closures and evacuation orders, with firefighting resources actively deployed to suppress the fires amid challenging weather conditions.
