Fast-Moving Wildfire in California Explodes From 50 to 1,000 Acres in Hours, Forcing Evacuations
A rapidly spreading brush fire, dubbed the Canyon Fire, has torn through parts of Southern California, growing from an estimated 50 acres to over 1,000 acres within just a few hours on Thursday and forcing mandatory evacuations.
The blaze ignited east of Lake Piru in Ventura County before crossing into Los Angeles County, prompting an urgent response from firefighting crews.
Officials issued immediate evacuation orders for the popular Lake Piru Recreation Area and surrounding regions, with warnings extended to ranches in nearby Holser Canyon. The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed that several zones were under evacuation orders and warnings as the fire continued its aggressive advance.
Firefighters deployed water-dropping aircraft, using the Lake Piru reservoir to refill their planes in a desperate effort to contain the flames from the air. The cause of the Canyon Fire, which is one of at least four wildfires currently burning across Southern California, remains under investigation.
This latest incident adds to what has already been a devastating wildfire season for the state. Earlier this year, a series of fires scorched more than 50,000 acres, destroying over 18,000 homes and structures, leading to at least 30 deaths, and forcing some 200,000 people to flee their homes.
The scale of the current fire season is alarming, with official figures showing that California has already experienced over 4,400 wildfires this year, a significant increase from the 3,800 recorded during the same period last year. The total area burned has also surged dramatically, with more than 221,100 acres consumed in 2025 compared to just 83,200 acres by this time last year.
