Wildfires near LA force evacuations of 1,000; Flames threaten homes

LOS ANGELES, June 24 (UPI) -- About a thousand people were evacuated from their neighborhoods in Southern California Wednesday after a wildfire started and spread quickly, consuming more than 100 acres and threatening homes in the area, authorities said.

The Calgrove Fire started about 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday along Interstate 5 in the Santa Clarita area, located 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. By 3 p.m., three alarms had been called to fight the flames, CBS Los Angeles reported.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office issued the mandatory evacuations of about 1,000 people in close proximity to the wildfire and said it was threatening a mobile home park there.

A portion of Interstate 5, a major thoroughfare that passes north-south through the Los Angeles metropolitan area, was shut down in both directions by the California Highway Patrol. Hundreds of firefighters and four helicopters were battling the fire Wednesday afternoon.

Officials said a firefighter and a prison inmate, who were fighting the fire, sustained minor injuries, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Authorities said weather conditions were making the firefighting effort a bit more challenging, as temperatures surpassed 90 degrees and wind gusts registered near 30 mph.

Fire officials said the fire had been about 20 percent contained by Wednesday afternoon. One structure had also sustained minor damage.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department was being assisted by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies.

A much smaller wildfire, called the Gator Fire, was also burning in Santa Clarita Wednesday.