CASTAIC, Calif. (KERO) — According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Route Fire, burning near Castaic, has burned 5,208 acres and is at 12 percent containment as of Thursday morning. Traffic is flowing again along the I-5, although not all lanes have been reopened.
On Wednesday afternoon, acres of land roared in flames alongside the I-5 freeway. According to Unified Incident Commander Thomas Ewald, both air and ground fire response units are working to bring the fire under control.
"The aircraft flew for a very large portion of the early hours this morning were very successful in putting a lot of retardant on some of the parts of the fire where we had some challenges," said Ewald. Ground resources began working to gain further containment before the midday heat kicked in.
LACFD Captain Sheila Kelliherberkoh says the department is sending additional crews to help with firefighting efforts, adding that the extreme weather conditions continue to be a challenge for the firefighters.
"Excessive heat, low humidity, and steep terrain are going to be some of the most challenging conditions that our firefighters are facing today. Along with our ground crews, and our nine helicopters, we're going to add to that our two CL415 fixed-wing super scoopers. That should help aid that firefighting mission today," said Kelliherberkoh.
LA County Fire has lifted the evacuation order on the Paradise Valley mobile home park neighborhood, and Ewald expects more adjustments to evacuation orders along the ridge route as well.
"We just need to validate the safety of the road and ensure that there are no hazards to the public," said Ewald.
Crews are continuing to work on reinforcing fire lines as temperatures continue to rise. Ewald says 7 firefighters suffered heat related injuries and were transported to a local hospital. As of Thursday morning, those firefighters have been released and are doing well.
"We are preparing to potentially have heat emergencies today and we're taking protective steps to ensure our firefighters are being provided the hydration and medical support that they're going to need for a safe shift," said Ewald.
