Some residents were allowed to return home on Friday night, while thousands more remained in shelters
Firefighters work in the fire of a house in Porter Ranch.
Photo:
Mario Tama / Getty Images
A pause in the winds of Santa Ana slowed the growth of the Saddleridge fire in northern San Fernando Valley on Saturday.
The destructive Saddleridge fire continues to burn on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people evacuated yet, even when some residents of northern San Fernando Valley were allowed to return to their homes, reports NBC News.
The growth of fire decreased during the night, as the winds became less fast and erratic. But even firefighters must fight the flames that threaten homes and structures.
The fire left a dead person, an injured firefighter and at least 31 homes destroyed since Thursday night, driven by the strong winds of Santa Ana through suburban communities in the northern area of the valley.
The fire caused evacuations, road closures that included large swaths of several highways and the cancellation of outdoor events throughout the region due to the very poor air quality.
The impacted areas of Granada Hills, Porter Ranch and Sylmar, along with other neighboring communities, showed signs of progress in the fight against fire on Friday night, and some previously evacuated residents living south of Highway 118 may already return home.
Weather conditions are expected to improve on Saturday as the winds begin to decrease in the afternoon and humidity increases.
The fire had blackened 7,552 acres at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and it was 19% contained according to the LAFD report. More than 1,300 firefighters struggle to contain this fire.
The fire is one of several fires in southern California and led local officials and governor Gavin Newsom to sign emergency declarations to mobilize more resources for firefighting in Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
A fatality was reported in this fire: a man who suffered a heart attack during the fire while trying to defend his home.
Red flag warnings due to winds extended to 6 p.m. Saturday for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
"As you can imagine, the embers of the wind have been traveling a significant distance, which causes another fire to begin," said the head of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Ralph Terrazas.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, and the authorities warned that the threat of high winds remains, according to the Inciweb report.
Mandatory evacuations for an estimated 23,000 homes are maintained in the following areas:
- Porter Ranch north of 118 FY from Reseda to Iverson
- Oakridge Estates (north 210 FY)
- West of Balboa, north of Sesnon to the Ventura County border with DeSoto as the western border
Highway Closures:
2 lanes are now open both N and S at 5 through the Sylmar area (previously closed)
E and O on highway 210, between 5 and 118
S from 14, from road 126 to 5
N from 405, from 118 to 5
S and O del 118 from Balboa Bl to DeSoto Ave.
