A fast-moving wildfire that started Saturday afternoon along Interstate 5 near the Grapevine has charted a path south and as of nightfall was moving toward the town of Castaic. Officials are monitoring overnight winds in the Tejon Pass that threaten to expand the fire’s footprint.
Moving parallel to the I-5, the Post fire had expanded to more than 4,400 acres by late Saturday. The fire has prompted evacuations from Gorman, the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area and Pyramid Lake.
I-5 was briefly shut down Saturday at Quail Lake and Gorman Post Road, leaving traffic snarled, with some accidents reportedly caused by drivers who stopped to photograph the flames.
The blaze started around 2 p.m. Saturday and quickly grew beyond 500 acres, threatening structures to the south and west of I-5. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews rapidly responded, making aerial assaults with air tankers and water-dropping helicopters. The Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service are aiding in the effort, working with Los Angeles County crews to construct fire lines in hopes of containing the perimeter.
Firefighters face challenging conditions: The National Weather Service forecasts increasing winds Saturday night, with ridgetop gusts expected to hit 60 mph.
The blaze began as a brush fire south of Ralphs Ranch Road and reportedly jumped the road, burning an auto repair shop. As the fire pressed toward Hungry Valley, park officials evacuated 1,200 people from the recreation area and closed access to Pyramid Lake. Social media feeds captured an exodus of motor homes, trailing ATVs, from campgrounds crowded with groups celebrating Father’s Day weekend.
By Saturday night, thick plumes of smoke wafted over I-5, and officials were reporting 0% containment.
The fire erupted as experts work to gauge the potential severity of this year’s fire season. A wet winter has nurtured a potentially heavy fuel load of thick grasses, which are drying as temperatures rise. A wind-driven wildfire scorched more than 14,000 acres in San Joaquin County, south of Tracy, earlier this month.
County Fire Department crews are battling the Post fire just a day after one of their colleagues was killed and another injured while responding to a quarry fire in Antelope Valley.
