Key Points

The wildfire, dubbed the Canyon fire, broke out around 1:25 p.m. local time (2025 GMT) near Piru, a small historic town located in eastern Ventura County and around 77 km northwest of Los Angeles. The blaze grew rapidly to over 1,000 acres (around 4.05 square km) in hours with no containment, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said on Thursday.

That fire burned about 15 square miles in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.

Local officials issued multiple evacuation orders and warnings for some communities near the fire in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

"Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access," said Cal Fire in its evacuation orders.

"The Canyon Fire is spreading fast under extreme heat and dry conditions near Ventura-LA County line," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger in a post on X, urging residents in the area to "take evacuation orders seriously -- when first responders say GO, leave immediately."

The temperature in the area reached 37.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, with 15-17 per cent humidity, according to the US National Weather Service, Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It's close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January.

In LA County, around 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures are under an evacuation order, and another 12,500 residents are under an evacuation warning.

Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state.

- IANS