Crews make progress on brush fires burning in Moreno Valley, Acton

The Crown Fire in Acton quickly spread in acreage due to the strong winds, plus the conditions of the vegetation.

"The fuels have all had about two weeks during that heat wave we had to cure and become prime to burn, so that's what happened," said Capt. Aaron D. Katon with L.A. County Fire Department.

Following strategic retardant drops from the air and crews working on the ground, the fire appeared to be moving away from populated areas and moving more toward the hillsides, which was mostly vegetation.

Katon said the fire department's No. 1 priority is to save life and property. Then, the goal becomes to stabilize the fire. He said the fire appears to be concentrated up on a ridge, which was a good sign.

"That's always where we try to hold it. We try to hold fires at rivers, ridges, roads - natural barriers that can work in concert with our fire suppression efforts to keep that fire and keep it from advancing further," Katon said.

A brush fire burning near Acton in Los Angeles County has grown to 280 acres, according to Cal Fire.

When the fire was first reported around 12:30 p.m., the Crown Fire was at 80 acres.

About an hour later, the blaze grew 200 acres.

Evacuation orders are in place for this zone: LAC-E087

Evacuation warnings are in place for these zones: LAC-E086 and LAC-E089.

As the Springs Fire continues to spread, the firefighters on the front lines of the blaze are facing a challenging firefight due to the steep topography of the region as well as windy conditions, said Terra Fernandez, a public information specialist with the Riverside County Fire Department.

"The wind can make the fire very unpredictable. However, we have many resources on scene as well as aircraft attacking this fire from all angles," said Fernandez.

Fernandez said hand crews are cutting lines all around the fire, plus air crews continue to drop retardant for structure protection.

She said ground crews are facing rocky terrain and shifting winds, but they are doing everything they can to gain containment on the fire as quickly as possible.

Rob McMillan is reporting from the scene of the Springs Fire near Moreno Valley, where powerful winds are fueling the flames.

Rob McMillan is reporting from the scene of the Springs Fire near Moreno Valley, where powerful winds are fueling the flames.