Smoke from the Canyon Fire is seen from Telegraph Rd. in Piru, California on Aug. 7, 2025. The blase started southeast of Lake Piru around 1:30 p.m. in a remote area in the mountains between Piru and Interstate 5.
Smoke from the Canyon Fire hovers over the region. The blaze started southeast of Lake Piru around 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2025, in a remote area in the mountains between Piru and Interstate 5.

LOS ANGELES – A fast-moving wildfire broke out on Aug. 7 in northwest Los Angeles that grew to over 1,000 acres in a matter of hours, triggering evacuations amid a blistering and dangerous heat wave in Southern California.

The blaze, dubbed the Canyon Fire, was first reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. PT near Piru, California, and the Los Angeles-Ventura county line. Initial reports indicated the fire had burned roughly 30 acres.

In an evening update, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the fire had scorched 1,500 acres. There was no containment as of 11:30 p.m. local time.

"The fire is burning east with a rapid rate of spread in light to medium fuels," Cal Fire said in an update.

Multiple helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including six air tankers, dropped water and retardant on the flames throughout the afternoon. Officials also requested additional firefighters, including hand crews, engines, and bulldozers, Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, told the Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Winds had mostly pushed smoke toward Los Angeles County on Thursday afternoon, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District said in an air quality watch. The district added that the winds are expected to shift toward Ventura County overnight.

Canyon Fire evacuation orders, warnings

Evacuation orders and warnings blanketed both sides of the county line as the blaze grew.

In Ventura County, evacuation orders are in place for the Lake Piru Recreation Area, east to the Los Angeles County line, north of Highway 126, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services. In Los Angeles County, evacuation orders cover the western half of the mountain communities of Castaic and Val Verde north of Highway 126, with evacuation warnings extending east to Interstate 5.

The estimated number of structures and ranches in evacuation zones was not immediately available, Dowd said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents impacted areas of the county, urged residents to follow evacuation orders.

"If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation," Barger warned on Facebook. "The Eaton Fire showed us how quickly devastation can strike. It is never worth risking your life, the lives of your loved ones and pets, or the safety of those working to protect you."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fast-moving Southern California blaze scorches over 1K acres, triggering evacuation orders

Reporting by James Powel and Cheri Carlson, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect