The fire broke out early on Wednesday and grew to over 2,000 hectares in the mountains around Lake Castaic north of Santa Clarita in less than two hours.
The fire's progress was accelerated by the dry and strong so-called Santa Ana winds, which also worsened the fires that destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles earlier in January – fires that are still raging.
In Los Angeles, authorities are simultaneously warning of rain over the weekend. With the rain, new strong winds will come that risk reigniting the fires.
The precipitation will not be sufficient to help the extinguishing work, but the water can cause landslides in areas where trees and other vegetation have been burned down and cannot stop the mud from flowing. Therefore, sandbags are being placed as barriers in several locations, according to the municipality.
When the fires have subsided, new challenges will arise, says responsible Kathryn Barger.
Rain is forecast and the threat of mud and debris flowing into the fire-affected areas is real.
