Canyon Fire prompts thousands of evacuations in California

The Canyon Fire, which began on Thursday afternoon, has blazed through nearly 5,000 acres in less than 24 hours.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveFire prompts thousands of evacuations in California19 hours agoShareSaveAli Abbas AhmadiBBC NewsShareSaveWatch: Aircrews battle rapidly spreading Canyon Fire in CaliforniaA fierce wildfire north-west of Los Angeles prompted evacuation orders for thousands of residents on Friday, as extreme heat and dry conditions fuelled its rapid spread.

The blaze, named the Canyon Fire, ignited on Thursday afternoon along the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. By Friday evening, it had expanded from 30 acres to nearly 5,400.

The fire has been partially contained, with 28% of its perimeter under control by Saturday morning, officials said, and evacuation orders were reduced to warnings.

On Friday evening, a firefighter suffered major injuries when his truck rolled over a ridge and down a steep hillside.

Kern County firefighter James Agee was driving a pick up truck when he was involved in a "rollover" about 18:20 local time, according to a statement issued by the county. He was airlifted to hospital with "serious injuries".