Five homes in Lake Hughes were destroyed, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and two dozen more were damaged as the Powerhouse Fire advanced from San Francisquito Canyon into the Elizabeth Lake area on Saturday night.
As of 11 p.m., the fire had blackened 5,861 acres and was 20 percent containment.
A resident reported that the Lake Hughes-Lake Elizabeth school had burned.
The fire started Thursday afternoon near LADWP’s Power House 1, roughly nine miles north of Copper Hill in Santa Clarita. Heat, dryness and terrain turned it into an inferno.
“(The) fire was able to come into alignment with slope, winds, low relative humidity and critically dry fuels, making extreme head runs on all open divisions with long-range spotting and very active backing and flanking fire,” the U.S. Forest Service reported. The fire “spotted and became well developed north of Lake Hughes Road.”
Nearly 1,000 firefighters were battling the blaze Saturday night while 130 sheriff’s deputies carried out mandatory evacuation orders in the Lake Hughes, Munz Lake and Lake Elizabeth areas. Several residents refused to leave, but most got to safety.
Large animals were evacuated to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds – although some horses were running loose as the flames spread. Small animals joined their owners at a Red Cross shelter at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center in Palmdale.
Unified Command Press Release, 11:21 p.m.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, United States Forestry Service, along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have ordered several evacuations and road closures as a result of the Powerhouse Fire. They are as follows:
The area from San Francisquito Canyon Road north to Elizabeth Lake Road, Lake Hughes, and areas south of Lake Hughes Road and north of South Portal Road, Lake Hughes, have been evacuated.
Lake Hughes is an unincorporated community in northern Los Angeles Count policed by the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station (www.Palmdale.lasd.org) of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (www.lasd.org) .
Cottonwood Campground in Lake Hughes is completely evacuated.
Los Angeles County Probation Camps John Munz and William Mendenhall in Lake Hughes have been evacuated to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar.
Canyon Meadows Church campgrounds in Lake Hughes evacuation complete with five (5) individuals electing to remain.
Most recently, the community of Lake Hughes has been placed under mandatory evacuations and the community of Elizabeth Lake is under a madatory evacuation order.
Road Closures
Road closures have been ordered in Castaic at Lake Hughes Road as well as Lake Hughes Road to Elizabeth Lake Road in the Santa Clarita Valley, policed by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station (www.SantaClarita.lasd.org)
These road closures went into effect due to the heavy equipment traveling the road throughout the course of the day. Only Santa Clarita residents and emergency personnel will be allowed to enter San Francisquito Canyon Road at Copper Hill Drive. Only emergency personnel will be able to enter the area between Calle Daggett to the north and the Department of Water and Power Village to the south, located off San Francisquito Canyon Road.
San Francisquito Canyon Road remains under a hard closure. Bouquet Canyon Road is under a soft closure open to residents only. Elisabeth Lake Road is under a soft closure open to residents only.
Instructions:
Please use caution in surrounding areas.
Evacuation Centers
A Red Cross evacuation center has been set up at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center, located at 2723-A Rancho Vista Boulevard, Palmdale.
The evacuation site for large animals has been set up at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds (Gate 3), located at 2551 West Avenue H, Lancaster.
For small animals, the evacuation center is Lancaster Animal Shelter or Castaic Animal Shelter
Checklist
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Evacuation Checklist:
• Critical Medication
• Important photos and personal papers
• Essential valuables
• Pets, livestock, Pet food
• Change of clothes and toiletries
• Cell phone and charger
• Critical papers and effects in a fire-proof safe
• Evacuation Route Map with at least two routes
• Drive your planned route of escape before an actual emergency
Day 4: Powerhouse Fire Forces Evacs, Destroys Homes
