Fire Forces Thousands of Evacuations Near LA

A California wildfire that has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents in northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County kept growing on Friday, as crews battled flames and extreme heat. The Canyon fire had expanded to 5,400 acres, the Los Angeles Times reports, helped by the hot and dry conditions. Despite achieving 25% containment, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson said crews can't relax yet. "We still have record-low fuel moisture in the area, so we're not letting our guard up," said Andrew Dowd.

The department reported that more than 2,700 residents have been asked to evacuate and another 14,000 people have been given evacuation warnings, per the BBC. No damage to homes or businesses has been confirmed by officials. The president of the Val Verde Civic Association in Santa Clarita said residents of her neighborhood had to evacuate Thursday but was allowed to return home Friday, per the Times. "There's a lot of smoke, the air is really, really bad," said Jennifer Elkins, adding, "This is a really tough fire season and I'm really glad the fire department is really taking every fire seriously."