A wildfire near Castaic prompted mandatory evacuations and the closure of all lanes of the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon as triple-digit temperatures hit Southern California.
The Route fire was first reported just after noon and was burning along the freeway near Lake Hughes Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
By 5:20 p.m., the fire had grown to 600 acres as authorities ordered evacuations for the Paradise Ranch Estates mobile home park and structures south of Templin Highway, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
“All residents ordered to evacuate to the north,” the department said in a tweet.
The blaze was 0% contained, Inspector Craig Little, an L.A. County Fire Department spokesperson, said shortly before 6 p.m.
Northlake Hills Elementary School, located between the 5 and Ridge Route Road, was evacuated, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.
The Sheriff’s Department said all Northlake Hills staff and students were safe as of 5:30 p.m.
Two firefighters were transported to a hospital with minor heat-related injuries, the Fire Department said.
Little told The Times that seven people had suffered heat-related injuries so far and that six of those injured were transported.
State officials are asking Californians to voluntarily limit electricity use Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. as the year’s worst heat wave begins. Temperatures in the 100s are expected across large swaths of the state through Tuesday.
Temperatures in the area reached nearly 110 degrees by midday with 12% humidity, according to the National Weather Service.
All lanes of the freeway were closed with southbound traffic being diverted at Vista Del Lago Road and northbound traffic being diverted at Lake Hughes Road, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Footage from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed flames on both sides of the southbound lanes with smoke rising from rolling, dry hills. The southbound and northbound lanes are separated by a large hill.
A large tanker could be seen dropping fire retardant along the fire line.
The high-pressure system over most of California is expected to bring record-breaking temperatures, part of a “self-perpetuating” system that is becoming more extreme as climate change worsens.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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