“I’m just praying our house doesn’t burn down,” one man told radio station KTLA as he packed up his car.
The fire occurred as the Los Angeles metropolitan area is still reeling after two massive fires that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of structures.
Robert Jensen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged everyone in the area affected by the new fire to leave immediately.
“We have seen the devastation caused by people who did not follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires,” he said.
“I don’t want to see that here in our community as well. If you have been issued an evacuation order, leave.”
Television footage showed police driving through the neighborhood urging people to leave.
Helicopters and planes were on the scene dropping water and retardant on the fire, the images show.
That fleet included two Tremendous Scoopers, huge amphibious aircraft that can carry hundreds of liters of water.
Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest were also attacking the fire from the ground.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire, but it occurred during red flag fire conditions, when forecasters say high winds and low humidity create conditions ripe for rapid fire spread.
-Agence France-Presse
