Firefighters battling Agoura Hills brush fire amid red flag warning

Firefighters were battling a brush fire in Agoura Hills early Saturday evening as the area remained under a red flag warning.

Dubbed the Ramirez Fire, it was reported at 3:48 p.m. and was moving at a slow to moderate rate, burning through 3 to 5 acres by 4:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It was burning in the area of a previous blaze.

At 5 p.m., the city of Agoura Hills said the small wildfire was holding at 5 acres and fire department helicopters were "making good progress" with water drops. "We will continue to keep the community updated, and still encourage you to stay prepared," the city said in a statement posted online.

Firefighters could be seen working through the terrain using tools as they were just several feet from actively burning flames, aerial footage shot around 4:30 p.m. showed. Fire officials said there were no threats and no evacuations underway at that time.

Meanwhile, valleys and other parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties seeing strong gusts, as seasonal Santa Ana winds have started sweeping through the region, were warned by forecasters that the dry, windy weather was increasing the risks of wildfires.

Those areas were placed under a red flag warning expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday.

"Any new fires will have increased risk for rapid fire spread/extreme fire behavior," National Weather Service Los Angeles said.  

The San Fernando Valley is among areas in the region expected to see Santa Ana winds reaching around 25 to 40 mph, with isolated gusts of up to 50 mph, according to forecasters.