Firefighters make progress against fast-moving blaze along highway north of Los Angeles

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GORMAN, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters with air support scrambled to control a wind-driven wildfire that erupted Thursday morning in hills along Interstate 5 in northwestern Los Angeles County, officials said.

The King Fire, which broke out around 1 a.m., charred nearly a square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of tinder-dry brush in a lightly populated area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of downtown LA.

An RV park was ordered to shelter in place and residents of remote homes were under evacuation warnings. The blaze was 40% contained as of the evening, the Angeles National Forest reported on the social platform X.

The California Highway Patrol closed some highway lanes as crews battled flames that raced along hillsides before dawn. Off- and on-ramps were closed near Smokey Bear Road, along with several surrounding roads just north of Pyramid Lake in a mountainous area known for hiking and boating.

The blaze is burning a few miles north of the Canyon Fire, which prompted evacuations, destroyed seven structures and injured three firefighters after breaking out Aug. 7. It was fully contained Thursday morning after charring more than 8 square miles (22 square kilometers) of LA and Ventura counties.

Firefighters were also battling a blaze in northern Los Angeles County that ballooned to 400 acres (162 hectares) and resulted in one firefighter suffering a minor injury, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Hawk Fire was 6% contained Thursday evening and firefighters stopped its forward progress.

Residents in the area around the fire in the small community of Acton were initially ordered to evacuate, but that was later downgraded, with officials telling them to be prepared to evacuate, according to the fire department. A recreation center in Palmdale was opened for people forced to leave their homes.

The Gifford Fire, California’s largest blaze so far this year, has scorched nearly 207 square miles (536 square kilometers) of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties since erupting on Aug. 1. It was 41% contained on Thursday.

Wildfire risk is elevated because Southern California has seen very little rain, drying out vegetation and making it “ripe to burn,” the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned in a statement last week.