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https://signalscv.com/2024/06/post-fire-grows-to-10504-acres-castaic-on-evacuation-warning/
Update: Post Fire grows to 12,265 acres; Castaic on evacuation warning
The Post Fire, which originated in Gorman on Saturday afternoon, has grown to 12,265 acres and is 2% contained as of Sunday afternoon as Castaic residents have been urged to prepare for the possibility of evacuation, according to the L.A. County Fire Department.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has also issued an air quality alert due to the high amounts of smoke produced by the blaze.
“The concern for that is since the winds are coming out of the north, it’s pushing the fire south towards [Pyramid Lake], and that’s where the fire currently is,” said Fire Department Public Information Officer Kenichi Haskett. “Crews are worried that with that wind, we’re getting some gusts over 50 miles an hour. It’s making it challenging for aircraft to make more precise water drops or retardant drops.”
Castaic is under an evacuation warning, which was issued on Saturday, due to the direction that the Post Fire is travelling in and its relatively close proximity to Castaic Lake.
“[The direction] changes currently,” said Fire Department Public Information Officer Craig Little. “Primarily, it’s going in a southernly direction, but that changes. Sometimes, it goes southwest, sometimes, it’s southeast, but primarily south.”
Little also noted that the fire is still relatively distant from Castaic, as he was unable to see anything nearby from his command post in the area beyond smoke.
“We want people to be on notice, particularly in the Castaic Lake area,” said Haskett. “And that they’d be prepared with their gear, with their overnight bag or a couple overnight bags, to evacuate if need be if a sheriff comes by and issues an evacuation order and then having their belongings ready to go.”
While the Santa Clarita Valley was blanketed under a thick cover of smoke on Saturday into the evening, overnight winds eased up, allowing for clearer skies Sunday morning.
“Last night, they had pretty good gusts up until midnight,” said Haskett. “The wind subsided and then the fire was able to leave the immersion layer a bit more.”
However, high winds are expected to return to the Santa Clarita Valley on Sunday evening, threatening to help the fire grow more.
“The winds are a major factor in the movement of the fire,” said Little. “We have gusts that are gonna be as high as 60 miles per hour later on this evening, and they’ve been going pretty steady at various speeds throughout the day.”
The Fire Department’s goal on Sunday is to increase the Post Fire’s containment percentage, specifically toward the north and west of the blaze, which Haskett says are wilderness-heavy areas.
“There’s always a threat,” he said. “We’re early in fire season. It’s been about two years since L.A. County has been in a good fire to this extent, over 10,000 acres. So, stark reminder that we need people to do what they can to be prepared and then clear brush. Make sure their trees are trimmed and everything is fire-safe around their homes.”
Little said that Castaic residents should “take all of their essential items that they would be able to take and fit in their cars at a moment’s notice. Documents, pet food, their medications, hard drives. Things of that nature so when they are asked to evacuate within minutes, they’ll be able to have that ready to go.”
On Saturday an evacuation order was issued to the Hungry Valley Campground on the west side of Interstate 5. Approximately 1,200 people have been ordered to leave the premises while firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
This is a developing story, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
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