5 Freeway reopens, evacuation orders and warnings remain in place as brush fire burns in Gorman
Some drivers ran out of gas after sitting in four hours of traffic on the 5 Freeway.
GORMAN, Calif. (KABC) -- Fire crews are battling a fast-moving brush fire in Gorman near the Los Angeles County-Kern County line, triggering evacuation orders and warnings for some residents and a temporary freeway closure.
Fire crews stayed close to the hillsides surrounding the 5 Freeway in Gorman, keeping an eye out for hotspots and ready to attack any flare-ups of the blaze that has already burned hundreds of acres of dry brush.
The Ridge Fire is burning on W. Gorman Post Road, according to the L.A. County Fire Department. It was first reported around 2:30 p.m. Friday.
The fire quickly grew from an estimated 100 acres to 1,057 acres as it spread to the 5 Freeway, causing major traffic delays.
AIR7 video shows a lot of thick smoke blanketing the area. At one point, a "firenado" was spotted along the fire line. ABC7 Meteorologist Dallas Raines estimated it was between 70 and 100 feet tall. "Firenadoes" form when the intense hot air around the fire rises, and cool air blows in and starts spinning around.
Firefighters used aircraft to make water drops and drop lines of retardant. The flames moved rapidly downhill toward the northbound side of the 5 Freeway before jumping over and charring more acres on the south side.
Around 5 p.m. California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert, closing all northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway. Crews quickly issued a second SigAlert for the rest of the freeway, closing all southbound lanes. With the freeway fully shut down, traffic grew in the area.
Some drivers ran out of gas, while others watched their tanks empty as they moved slowly toward Gorman.
"We had the AC off and like everything, windows down. So it's been pretty miserable for the last four hours," said motorist AJ Apple.
One family was trying to make their way to Merced when they ran out of gas in Gorman.
"We had a full tank of gas until we were stuck sitting there, idly, for four hours. Just stop and go," Amber Lucky said.
"There was also like, semi-trucks jammed, like semi-truck to semi-truck to semi-truck, so it was like, almost impossible to get over and off," said Charlie Lucky. "So by the time we got off, our car had six miles left, and then the gas station was six miles away. And then we get there, and there's no gas."
Just before 7 p.m., all southbound lanes were reopened, according to CHP. The northbound lanes reopened about an hour later. Still, crews continued to battle the blaze.
L.A. County issued an evacuation order for residents in zone GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-A. Evacuation warnings were issued for zones GOR-E001-A and GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-B.
Kern County also issued an evacuation warning for zone KRN-545. Residents in the area are being asked to prepare to leave.
An evacuation shelter was established at Castaic Sports Complex Gymnasium, located at 31230 N Castaic Rd. Officials noted that the shelter is open 24 hours a day and accepts pets.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a Wildfire Smoke Advisory for areas surrounding Gorman through at least Saturday afternoon, with the air quality index expected to reach unhealthy for sensitive groups along the 5 Freeway corridor reaching the Castaic Lake area.
