Peak Fire Grows To 50 Acres, Forces Evacuations In San Gabriel Valley

AZUSA, CA — A brush fire in the San Gabriel Valley grew to an estimated 50 acres Thursday afternoon, threatening homes and prompting mandatory evacuations amid red flag warnings.

The Peak Fire broke out around 1:15 p.m. near San Gabriel Canyon Road and Ranch Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The location is in a suburban area in Azusa adjacent to the San Gabriel Mountains.

The blaze quickly spread through medium to heavy brush, growing to roughly 23 acres before expanding to an estimated 50 to 60 acres. A second alarm was called at 1:34 p.m., bringing additional firefighters to the scene.

• See also: Santa Ana Winds Threaten LA County: What’s Closed, Where You Can’t Park And Who Could Lose Power

Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest responded to the blaze. Firefighters worked to protect homes north of San Gabriel Canyon Road, particularly in the area of Foxtail and Poppyglen courts.

County helicopters dropped water on the flames, drawing from a nearby reservoir.

According to an update from the Angeles National Forest at around 2:45 p.m., a rapid response from firefighters had "kept the fire out the neighborhood for now and kept residents safe."

Cal Fire issued an evacuation order for zone AZU-MC01, warning residents of an immediate threat to life and ordering them to leave. By 3:20 p.m., that order had been downgraded to a warning.

Evacuation warnings had also been issued for six additional zones earlier.

• Read more: See Peak Fire Perimeter Map, Evacuation Orders

Residents in warning zones who need additional time to evacuate, including those with pets and livestock, were urged to leave immediately.

An evacuation shelter was established at 340 N. Orange Ave. in Azusa.

The blaze broke out as Southern California faced heightened wildfire danger from Santa Ana winds and elevated temperatures.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday. The warnings are scheduled to remain in effect until 8 p.m. Saturday.

Despite the broader wind threat, winds in Azusa were relatively light Thursday afternoon, measuring around 7 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

City News Service contributed to this report.