Evacuations in Post Fire lifted as containment rises to 90%
While firefighters are bracing for warmer weather over the weekend, Cal Fire officials said Friday some evacuation orders have been lifted for communities forced to leave their homes due to the Post Fire.
The wildfire has burned through 15,690 acres since starting nearly a week ago, last Saturday, when it broke out at 1:47 p.m. near Gorman in northwestern LA County. It exploded in size over the weekend, growing to more than 15,000 acres Sunday. Since then, firefighters have managed to hold the fire steady and keep it from spreading further and reaching 16,000 acres.
Containment has risen steadily through this week, and on Monday Cal Fire said that number had grown to 90%.
It's the first major wildfire this year for the greater Los Angeles area.
The only mandatory evacuation orders still in place are those for residents south of Gorman Post Road, west of the I-5 Freeway, east of the Los Angeles County line, and north of Pyramid Lake. A voluntary evacuation warning has been issued for areas south of Pyramid Lake, west of the I-5 Freeway, east of the Los Angeles County line, and just north of Templin Highway.
A searchable map with the latest on evacuation orders can be found here.
More than 1,700 firefighters have been battling the wildfire that erupted nearly a week ago by Gorman School Road and Ralph's Ranch Road, near the southbound I-5 Freeway.
Winds had pushed the wildfire into Hungry Valley Park, leading to the evacuation of more than 1,200 people at the nearby Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area off the I-5 Freeway as well as another nearby campground.
Cal Fire said improving conditions have helped the firefight and allowed for the lifting and reducing of evacuation orders. However, the agency said firefighters continue trying to make progress that will prove critical as the weekend brings less favorable weather.
"In anticipation of hot and breezy conditions tomorrow and through the weekend, firefighters continue to focus on protecting critical infrastructure and recreation areas throughout the fire footprint," Cal Fire said in Friday morning in a written progress report.
"Crews will continue to identify and address pockets of fire and heat within interior portions of the burned area, along roads, and the Interstate 5 corridor," the agency said. "The priority remains constructing and reinforcing containment lines around the fire."
Weather on Saturday is expected to be "seasonably hot and dry" with temperatures during the day reaching the 90s. But those temperatures are expected to rise even more over the weekend, peaking in the high 90s to around 100 degrees, Cal Fire said.
On Sunday, there will be a "slight possibility" of thunderstorms over areas scorched by the wildfire, according to the Cal Fire report.
One person has been injured while two buildings have been destroyed and a third damaged, the agency said Friday.
The latest on road closures can be found by calling 1-800-427-7623 or using this searchable map found here.
