Fire Burns 1,500 Acres Outside Gorman

A brush fire near Gorman had burned 1,500 acres by Sunday evening, closing two lanes of Interstate 5 for much of the afternoon and knocking out electricity to more than 4,000 homes.

The fire downed utility poles, and there was no timetable for restoring power Sunday night.

A spokesman for Southern California Edison told the Associated Press that crews had been unable to assess the damage because of the ongoing blaze.

Authorities were calling for the voluntary evacuation of 100 homes in the area, and firefighters were parking their engines in front of homes to protect them. The fire was 15% contained, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mark Savage said.

Winds between 12 and 15 mph were blowing the fire in the direction of Frazier Park, a Kern County community of about 2,200, in the mountains near the conjunction of Los Angeles, Ventura and Kern counties. Authorities there said no evacuations were planned.

Firefighters were called to the scene about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, and by evening, more than 420 firefighters from Los Angeles and Kern counties were battling the blaze.

“We’re under unified command,” Savage said.

Two northbound lanes of Interstate 5 reopened after three hours.

Fire officials believed the fire started in more than one location.

Its cause was under investigation.