Firefighters in California are tirelessly working through hot and windy conditions to contain a large wildfire that started in the mountains north of Los Angeles near a major freeway over the weekend.
Approximately 1,200 individuals, mostly campers and hikers, were evacuated from Hungry Valley State Park and other areas west of Interstate 5 due to the expanding Post Fire.
As of Monday morning, Cal Fire officials reported that the blaze was 8% contained after spreading across nearly 17,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Officials stated that one structure has been destroyed by the fire, but thankfully no injuries have been reported.
Pyramid Lake is currently closed to the public as the fire moves south towards the recreational area. Castaic residents were cautioned about potential evacuations if the fire advances farther south.
With wind gusts reaching up to 20 mph, over 30 crews and seven helicopters are working to establish perimeter fire lines around the edges, as mentioned by Cal Fire. The ongoing mission is challenging due to the difficult weather conditions.
The cause of the Post Fire is still being investigated.
Although this is the first major wildfire of the season for Los Angeles, Cal Fire has been actively responding to other fires across California.
On Saturday, crews contained approximately 30% of the Hesperia Fire in San Bernardino County, which had burned over 1,100 acres.
Noah Berger / AP
In Northern California, wildfires erupted in Sonoma County, Butte County, and Sacramento County on Sunday.
Officials reported on Monday that the Point Fire in Sonoma is now 20% contained, while the Junes Fire in Butte is nearly fully contained at 95% after affecting over 1,000 acres and destroying one structure.
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