At least three fires broke out in Los Angeles County on Friday afternoon amid hot and dry conditions that are expected to persist through the weekend.
In Palmdale, firefighters were battling a 300-acre brush fire near the corner of North 35th Street East and East Avenue Q. In Angeles National Forest, the Fork fire ignited and quickly grew to 75 acres in the East Fork area above Glendora.
The Los Angeles Fire Department also reported a 10- to 12-acre brush fire off the 210 Freeway in Tujunga.
“In terms of fire potential, we just saw a few pop off in the last hour or two,” said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
A heat warning is in effect through Wednesday for the Antelope Valley and the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, with temperatures potentially reaching 106 degrees. Low humidity is expected to persist through at least the weekend.
The coastal plain and valleys are expected to be cooler.
While hot and dry conditions make it easier for fires to start, Lewis said conditions haven’t yet been severe enough to issue a red flag warning.
In the Antelope Valley, firefighters were making “good progress” on what’s been dubbed the Deer fire, said Luis Garcia, a spokesman with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He said structures may be “impacted” but aren’t expected to be threatened.
In Angeles National Forest, the Fork fire forced the closure of East Fork Road between Highway 39 and Glendora Mountain Road, a social media post for Angeles National Forest said. The forest’s account also reported that there was an evacuation in the area but did not elaborate.