Sylmar Fire Photos And Videos: Homes Threatened In California’s Kagel Canyon

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A rash of wildfires in California this week fueled by strong Santa Ana winds continued to spread Tuesday. Thousands were forced to evacuate, including some homes in the Sylmar area where a 1,000-acre fire raged.

The fire broke out around 4:00 a.m. local time off Little Tujunga Canyon Road, according to the Los Angeles Times. Evacuations were ordered for those in Lopez Canyon, Kagel Canyon and Little Tujunga Canyon by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. People to the east and west of the fire were also being evacuated. A temporary evacuation center was set up at Hansen Dam, NBC News reported.

Firefighters were deployed to the blaze and a number of helicopters were sent to drop water on the fire in an effort to slow it down. Some reports suggested people were trapped as a result of the fire, though they had not yet been confirmed, according to KTLA-TV.

Southern California was experiencing strong Santa Ana winds that would likely continue throughout this week, AccuWeather reported. High winds pose a greater risk for fire as they dry out surrounding areas and spread fires far more rapidly.

Firefighters elsewhere in the state were battling the 31,000 acre Thomas fire, which had already destroyed 150 structures and forced 27,000 people to evacuate as of Tuesday morning. Some 500 firefighters, in addition to aircraft and helicopter crews, were deployed to fight back the flames.

“The fire is still out of control and structures are threatened throughout the fire area,” the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office warned. “Due to the intensity of the fire, crews are having trouble making access, but there are multiple reports of structures on fire.”