Hawk fire grows to 400 acres in Acton as crews begin to get a handle on King fire near Gorman
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Fire crews battled two brush fires in northern Los Angeles County on Thursday — the King fire, which ignited near Pyramid Lake in the early morning, and the Hawk fire, which erupted in Acton around 3 p.m., threatening structures and prompting evacuation orders.
The wind-whipped Hawk fire began near Treman Drive and Elisa Road in the hills of Acton and spread to nearly 300 acres within two hours, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. By 8 p.m., the fire had blackened 400 acres, but an evacuation order that had been issued in the community of Mission and the Ritter Ranch area had been downgraded to a warning. By Friday morning, and the blaze was 42% contained.
Meanwhile, near Gorman, crews continued to combat the 577-acre King fire, which began just after 1 a.m. Thursday east of the 5 Freeway near Smokey Bear Road and north of Pyramid Lake, according to Cal Fire. They started to get a handle on the blaze in the afternoon, and by Thursday night it was 40% contained.
Officials said the fire grew dangerously fast early Thursday, when winds were gusting at almost 30 mph, pushing the blaze south toward Vista Del Lago Road. Flames spread dramatically, destroying two unoccupied RVs and threatening to jump the 5 Freeway several times. Officials were forced to temporarily close all lanes of the freeway near the Grapevine at least twice.
Evacuation warnings were issued for areas around Hungry Valley, Paradise Ranch, Gorman and the Pyramid Lake RV Park.
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The King fire sparked amid elevated fire conditions, with afternoon winds expected to hit up to 20 mph across the already parched chaparral-covered hills, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures around the fire were expected to reach into the low 90s Thursday, and relative humidity was forecast to drop below 20%, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the weather service based in Oxnard.
Fire trucks on Thursday lined the freeway’s closed northbound lanes as helicopters overhead continued with water and retardant drops.
Times staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report.
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