Brush fire breaks out in hills of Porter Ranch amid strong winds across SoCal
The first major Santa Ana wind event of the season is here.
PORTER RANCH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A brush fire burned in the hills of Porter Ranch overnight as Santa Ana winds whipped across Southern California, elevating the risk of fire amid the hot and dry conditions.
There were two active fires in the area overnight, but crews were able to quickly jump on them and stop them from getting out of control.
One of the fires ignited up in Browns Canyon, but it didn't threaten any homes. Helicopters responded to the scene overnight and made water drops as crews on the ground attacked the flames. About 3.5 acres were burned.
"There's a lot of terrain that's difficult up here. A lot of steep hills and the wind right now is pretty strong... that really makes it difficult for crews to contain the fire," said Fred Fielding with the L.A. County Fire Department.
There was also another small fire reported near the 118 Freeway at De Soto Avenue around the same time, but crews were also able to quickly put that one out.
Santa Ana winds, fire danger continue in SoCal on Monday
There were several other fires Sunday in the San Fernando Valley, but none of them grew into anything major. A fire in Chatsworth burned approximately 5 acres of grass.
A red flag warning is in effect across the region until 10 p.m. Monday, and the wind is expected to continue through Tuesday. It's the first major Santa Ana wind event of the season, and Southern California Edison has warned some customers about possible power shutoffs.
The strong winds also caused parts of trees to collapse and semis to overturn in the Inland Empire.
"The public can really make sure that they're not starting any fires by tossing out any cigarettes or having any illegal burns," Fielding said. "They can also make sure to prepare their homes by removing anything that's flammable around their homes. And just having a plan to know what they're going to do in case of a fire."
