Fast-growing brush fire forces evacuations in California's Ventura County amid scorching heat wave

Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times on Aug 7, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — A 600-acre brush fire burning in Ventura County on Thursday afternoon triggered evacuations in and around Piru and put nearby communities in the Santa Clarita Valley on high alert amid a major heat wave that officials warned could foster extreme fire growth and behavior.

The Canyon fire broke out around 2 p.m. near Holser Canyon Road, northeast of Piru — a small, unincorporated town not far from Castaic Junction, where Interstate 5 meets Highway 126, according to Ventura County officials. The fire was initially reported to be about 30 acres, but within an hour that estimate had jumped to 600 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Ventura and Los Angeles County fire departments were responding to the scene.

The fire was growing rapidly as of 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office. Officials there said the area was facing temperatures up to 100 degrees with wind gusts up to 25 mph.

Ventura County officials issued evacuation orders for the Lake Piru Recreation Area, as well as communities south into Piru and east to the L.A. County line. A few communities southwest of Castaic in L.A. County were under evacuation warnings, according to county evacuation maps.

Officials said the fire appeared to be headed away from Piru but was threatening the community of Hasley Canyon in L.A. County, as well as power lines in the area, according to Cal Fire.

More than 100 firefighters and seven helicopters were responding.

The Canyon fire is the fourth major blaze in the region in recent days, including the Gifford fire burning across the Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo county line. That fire, which ignited last week, is now California’s largest this year at more than 98,000 acres.