Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 3 High Desert Brush Fires Char 325 Acres

Three Antelope Valley brush fires driven by strong winds charred more than 325 acres and destroyed two cars, two small storage sheds and killed a few chickens Friday, according to fire officials.

The largest fire was a 300-acre blaze that began at 1:23 p.m. at 6669 Avenue A, a sparsely populated area near the Kern County border, Capt. Mike Cody of the Kern County Fire Department said. He said the fire, fanned by winds up to 30 m.p.h., burned a narrow path about 1 1/2 miles long before firefighters contained it about 4 p.m.

The fire was started by a man burning tumbleweeds Friday morning, Capt. Mark Missildine said. The man put out the fire, but sparks got into manure, which smoldered and five hours later ignited grass nearby.

“That is what happens when it gets into manure,” Missildine said. No charges will be sought against the individual, authorities said.

About 60 firefighters from Kern and Los Angeles counties, California City and Edwards Air Force Base fought the blaze, Cody said. He said numerous houses were threatened, but firefighters kept the flames away from most structures.

The two cars, storage shed, a few chickens and possibly a peacock or two were consumed near a house next to where the man was burning tumbleweeds. An estimate on the cost of the damage was not immediately available.

“They had it just about under control at one point and then the wind kicked up and blew it across the fire line,” Cody said.

A 25-acre fire occurred at about 11:50 a.m. near 90th Street West and West Avenue J in Lancaster, Inspector Rick Moreno of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. He said about 80 firefighters brought the fire under control in about an hour. It did not cause any injuries or threaten any structures.

A half-acre fire flared up at 40247 16th St. West in Palmdale at about 1:45 p.m., Moreno said. Two structures were threatened, but firefighters put the flames out before any damage occurred.

Moreno said the cause of the Lancaster and Palmdale fires remains under investigation. He said it is unknown if the fires were related.