During the past few days there have been several reports about fires in Canyon Country. These fires are scattered across the area and have varying degrees of intensity. They include the Capra and Elsmere fires. There are also reports of a fire in Spunky Canyon.
Elsmere Fire
Hundreds of homes were evacuated from Canyon Country following a brush fire sparked by a hiking trail in the San Gorgonio wilderness area. The Elsmere Fire in Canyon Country began in the vicinity of a hiking trail on the northbound side of Highway 14 near Newhall Avenue. It grew into a second-alarm fire before being contained.
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A malfunctioning diesel vehicle sparked several fires in the area, including one which consumed 42 square miles of dry chaparral. However, the Elsmere Fire in Canyon Country is the smallest of the lot.
The California Department of Transportation is working on repair of burned guardrails. As of late afternoon, the southbound lanes of the 14 Freeway were open. However, the northbound lanes are still closed, but should reopen soon.
Bouquet Canyon
Several firefighting crews have been working to put out a small brush fire in Angeles National Forest, located southeast of Bouquet Canyon Road. The blaze started in a wooded area between railroad tracks, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department officials. The fire is being fought by crews from both the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the State Division of Forestry.
Firefighters are estimated to have been able to contain the fire to a quarter acre. The fire was first reported about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 30. The fire is currently located in medium brush, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department officials.
Spunky Canyon
Several fires are burning in Canyon Country. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is battling the fires, but they are not causing much damage yet.
The small brush fire on Spunky Canyon Road was reported on Wednesday afternoon. It was estimated to be about 11 acres in size. A dozen aircraft have been launching aerial attacks on the fire.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) says the fire was started by an overturned pickup truck in brush. The fire is slowly going uphill. This will make it difficult for firefighters to fight the fire, but they will continue to do their best.
The Santa Ana fire was burning about 500 acres at 6:00 a.m. on October 21, but it had calmed to about 10 miles per hour. The wind direction has changed, so the fire will be harder to control.
Capra Fire
During the second quarter of the 20th century, Canyon Country, CA was home to four affluent neighborhoods, including Newhall, Saugus and Castaic. As you might expect, the area is arid in the summer months. On the flipside, during the colder winter months, the community offers an assortment of shopping, dining and entertainment choices – a rare treat in the greater Los Angeles area. In the grand scheme of things, Canyon Country is by far the largest of the four communities, comprising roughly 40 percent of the city’s population. Several large employers call the area home, including Santa Clarita Valley Medical Center, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Mandatory evacuations for businesses
Thousands of people and businesses in Canyon Country have been forced to evacuate due to a brush fire. A 4,005 acre fire is burning in the canyon and causing road closures. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the area, which is expected to last from Tuesday at 4 AM to Wednesday at 7 AM.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas are advised to take shelter at a local hotel, family member or friend’s house. They can also stay at a Red Cross facility that will offer an overnight congregate shelter.
The fire is mainly feeding off of dry, windy conditions. The National Weather Service has predicted that Santa Ana winds will continue overnight into Friday. The storm could produce water spouts and lightning strikes.
Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group
Despite being at the top of the echelon of federal bureaucracy, the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group (GMAC) has managed to stay one step ahead of the pack. Basically, the aforementioned group of 17 federal agencies and one private sector outfit has managed to get the ball rolling on a number of key initiatives. The list of projects includes a host of geospatial initiatives from land management to disaster management to disaster mitigation. The group is also responsible for coordinating Circular A-16 related activities.
As the name suggests, the GMAC is a multi-agency group designed to improve interagency coordination and efficiencies in the wildland fire management arena. Its mission includes all risk support, fostering collaboration and communication, and helping to identify, assess, and address wildland fire issues and concerns.
