Sand Fire burns 11,000 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, buing one structure.

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 and bued aided by temperatures nearing 110 degrees and wind gusts up to 30 mph.

There are mandatory and voluntary evacuations in the area near the fire. Between 200 and 300 homes were evacuated, most of which are on Little Tujunga Road between Bear Divide and Gold Creek in the Angeles National Forest north of Lake View Terrace.

The area on Little Tujunga from Gold Creek to Bottom Camp 16 is being voluntarily evacuated.

The Wildlife Weigh Station sanctuary for exotic animals was issued an evacuation order begiing last night. The non-profit sanctuary has been scrambling to evacuate lions, chimpanzees and other exotic animals rescued over the last several decades.

Nathan Judy, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service representing the Angeles National Forest, said over 300 strike teams from Los Angeles, San Beardino and Orange counties are fighting the fire.

“It’s still cranking, moving in multiple directions.” said Judy. “It’s uncontrolled, zero containment.”

He said crews are pushing a bulldozer line near the Kagel Canyon area.

“Our conce is if the fire pushes south toward the San Feando valley and cuts into Kagel Canyon,” said Judy.

Tendrils of white and brown smoke were winding off the ridge lines joining into a hazy soup now blanketing the Los Angeles and Santa Clarita Valleys.

Public pools in Los Angeles including the Pacific Pool in Glendale and the Rose Bowl Aquatic center were closed due to the fire.

Fire crews were assisted by five helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft, which were resuming flights around 8 a.m., said Inspector Gustavo Medina, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

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.

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“It’s going to be hotter,” said Medina. “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 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.

According to the Red Cross, two families sought shelter at the evacuation center Friday night.