Canyon Fire burning near Lake Piru now 91% contained

The 5,370-acre Canyon Fire burning near Lake Piru in Ventura County and Los Angeles County is now 28% contained, according to the fire department.

The 5,370-acre Canyon Fire burning near Lake Piru in Ventura County and Los Angeles County -- fueled by bone-dry brush and extreme heat -- is now 28% contained, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

With dry, rugged terrain, hot temperatures, and low humidity, firefighters say they are still in for a tough battle.

The department said air attack and ground crews persisted through Friday's intense heat to capitalize on Thursday's progress and minimize the fire's growth.

Fire growth was limited to just over 500 acres despite the challenging conditions, the department said. The progress allowed the command staff to downgrade many evacuation levels in several zones.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital. Officials said they are expected to fully recover.

"This afternoon, we're starting to see the temperatures come back up, we're seeing winds start to pick up. There's still a risk here. Fire is still burning, and we're still going to be incredibly vigilant until we get this fire contained," said Andrew Dowd with Ventura County Fire.

Despite the rapid spread on Thursday, no homes have been lost -- a major victory for firefighters working overnight.

"The fire department. They were flying all night long. That's why I felt safe. Our fire department out here in Santa Clarita is incredible. They do an incredible job. They've saved us a lot of times, and it's been amazing, and I really appreciate them a lot," said Hasley Canyon resident Mike Kavathas.

Evacuation warnings remain in effect for several communities in the area. Castaic High School was closed Friday as the fire burns near its northern perimeter.

A man in Castaic says he lost a World War II-era shed in the Canyon Fire, but firefighters were able to save his home.

A man in Castaic says he lost a World War II-era shed in the Canyon Fire, but firefighters were able to save his home.

"I got my golf cart and went down to call the fire department, and I said, 'Please get some water up here,'" he recalled. "They came up and they pulled all that metal apart and sprayed a bunch of water on it and got this all wet and saved it."

The shed is behind his and homes and he said the flames from the fire came rushing in about 10 minutes.

He said firefighters really put a fight and were able to save his home.

As firefighters gain more control on the Canyon Fire, some residents are relieved the flames didn't reach their homes.

In the Hasley Canyon area, many homes were still standing as the fire burned in the distance.

"It's been a long night just watching the fire," said Castaic resident Geri Aebersold. "Just watching it coming up right there on that hill. A firefighter said, 'You're ok. We got this.'"

Rod Meyer, another Castaic resident, wasn't so lucky. He lost a few outbuildings in the fire, but firefighters were able to save his home.

As firefighters gain more control on the Canyon Fire, some residents are relieved the flames didn't reach their homes.

"I got my golf cart and went down to call the fire department, and I said, 'Please get some water up here,'" he recalled. "They came up and they pulled all that metal apart and sprayed a bunch of water on it and got this all wet and saved it."

Meantime, some families like the Martins stayed behind to take care of their animals, including Izzie, their miniature pony.

Once they saw blue skies Thursday, they said it got easier to breathe.

"This morning was the worst, because no wind last night it just laid down like a blanket over all the homes, and it was really bad," said Terry Martin. "The wind picked up and has blown some of it away, so it's much easier to breathe out here."

The air quality near the Canyon Fire burn zone was deemed unhealthy by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Canyon Fire Map: Air Quality

Area residents who decided to stay put and wait out the fire without evacuating are urged to stay indoors or limit their outdoor exposure.

"This morning it was the worst, because there was no wind last night, it just laid down like a blanket over all the homes and it was really bad," said Terry Martin, who lives in the Hasley Canyon area.

Martin said conditions seemed to improve Friday morning as the wind picked up and blew some of the smoke away from his neighborhood.

Dr. Ryan Gil, a pulmonologist with St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, shared some common sense advice to those impacted.

If you start having symptoms, such as tightness in your chest, if you're wheezing, if you're coughing more than normal, especially if it doesn't get better with rescue inhalers, then I would urge you to go an urgent care or an emergency department," he said.

The air quality near the Canyon Fire burn zone was deemed unhealthy by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.