Sand Fire burns 5,500 acres near Santa Clarita, smoke blankets Los Angeles

Angelenos awoke Saturday to a pall of purple brown smoke as hundreds of firefighters continued to battle a mountain brushfire east of Santa Clarita that had ballooned to 5,500 acres oveight.

More than 300 firefighters fought the so-called Sand fire that ignited early Friday afteoon near Sand Canyon Road then quickly chewed through thousands of acres aided by temperatures nearing 110 degrees and wind gusts up to 30 mph. Smoke and ash quickly blanketed the region.. While no structures were immediately threatened, more than 100 residents remained under voluntary evacuation Saturday as firefighters girded for another day of extreme heat.

“It’s going to be hotter,” said Inspector Gustavo Medina, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “We’ll continue our same attack. It’s going into areas difficult for persoel to access.

“If it approaches homes, we’ll have firefighters in place. That’s our priority.”

The fire was zero percent contained as of 7:30 a.m., he said Two firefighters sustained minor injuries.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department helped by Los Angeles city and the U.S. Forest Service had more than 300 firefighters struggling to contain the Angeles National Forest blaze.

The were assisted by five helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft, which were resuming flights around 8 a.m., Medina said.

But with the fire heading into steep steep canyons deep into the San Gabriel Mountains, studded by dry chaparral, it will be difficult to contain.

Highway 14, which was partially closed Friday, has been reopened, Medina said. Only one minor road off of Sand Canyon Road remained closed.

Weather forecasters predicted another grueling hot day throughout the fire zone, with temperatures ranging from 102 to 107 degrees, low humidity and winds from 20 to 30 mph winds and gust as high as 40.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag and an Extreme Heat Waing for much of Southe Califoia.

“There will be some gusty winds,” said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “There is a very good combination -- dry and hot conditions … with dry brush.

“It’s certainly a dangerous combination for critical fire weather.”

An evacuation center was set up at Golden Valley High School, 27051 Robert C. Lee Pkwy., in Santa Clarita, and shelter for large animals was available at Agua Dulce Airport, Wayside Jail in Castaic and Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

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