The Pointe Fire burned in the area of 21300 Centre Pointe Parkway. Los Angeles County firefighters first responded to the brush fire at 1:40 p.m., and a second alarm was requested at 2:08 p.m.
In an update at 4 p.m., the fire department said forward progress had been stopped on the fire at 52 acres, and crews had reached 32% containment.
Still, an evacuation warning was in place for residents in zone SCL-CARLBOYER.
According to nearby residents, a neighborhood just about 50 yards from the fire is an entire community of veterans. Neighbors say that although there have been fires in the area before, they have never seen a blaze this close to homes.
"I mean, it's not the first time it's happened, but it's definitely the worst," resident Chris Landgren said. "I saw the whole living room turned a different color. A neighbor called and said, 'How close is the fire?' And I walked out, and that whole thing was just an inferno. So I grabbed my dogs, and my mother was staying over, so we grabbed her, and as quick as we could, we got out. And then I just walked back to grab her medicine and the medicine for my dogs."
Jonathan Torres with the Los Angeles County Fire Department told Eyewitness News that just under 200 personnel were on the ground, helping to battle the blaze. Crews also had two firehawks and two helitankers in the sky, making water drops.
A bulldozer was also on the scene, putting up a perimeter on the ground.
Firefighters were assisted by strategically placed fire breaks in the area, which are dirt roads that provide a barrier between areas of brush.
A reuinfication point was established at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, located at 20850 Centre Point Parkway, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. Metrolink trains were temporarily shut down between Via Princessa and Newhall.
AIR7 video from shortly before 3 p.m. showed smoke billowing over Soledad Canyon Road. Residents in the nearby neighborhood were seen exiting their homes and loading up their cars.
Video also showed a bee colony right outside the perimeter of the fire. Torres said officials were aware of the colony and were working to protect it. A bulldozer was seen actively pushing the fire away from the colony as water drops were made overhead.
The fire comes on the hottest day of Southern California's summer heat wave. Much of the region is under an Extreme Heat Warning.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a breaking news story. More details will be added as more information becomes available.