LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Firefighters rushed to contain a new wildfire that erupted near homes in the area of Calabasas and West Hills, northwest of Los Angeles, on Thursday afternoon.
The Kenneth Fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m., burning in an area of dry brush in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space, north of the 101 Freeway.
By 6 p.m., the fire grew to 960 acres, fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds. By 9 p.m., it was mapped at 1,000 acres with a 35% containment.
Sky5 footage showed flames encroaching on multi-million dollar homes with pools and tennis courts in their backyards.
All evacuation orders were lifted. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for the 101 Freeway from Vanowen south to Burbank Boulevard, County Lane Road east to E. Valley Circle Boulevard. By 5:30 p.m., the order was downgraded to a warning and encompassed only a limited area of homes west of the fire and east of Valley Circle Boulevard.
Sky5 footage showed helicopters dropping retardant around the fire’s perimeter and fixed-wing aircraft dumping water to protect homes. It was unclear if any structures had been damaged or destroyed.
Sky5 reporter Gil Leyvas said fire crews made impressive progress and had gained the upper hand on the fire by 5 p.m. through an aggressive, multi-agency attack.
“The Kenneth Fire is burning in West Hills in Los Angeles County and rapidly spreading,” CalFire officials said. “Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the fire threatens nearby communities and infrastructure, prompting swift evacuation orders. Firefighters from Los Angeles and Ventura counties are actively engaged in containment efforts, deploying both ground crews and aerial resources. The challenging terrain and persistent winds complicate suppression activities, necessitating heightened vigilance from residents and adherence to directives from local authorities.”
An errant countywide emergency alert for an evacuation warning was sent to millions of cell phones shortly before 4 p.m. Supervisor Janice Hahn quickly confirmed it was a “technical error” and intended only for residents near the Kenneth Fire. A correction was issued around 4:20 p.m.
This latest fire has emerged as crews struggle to contain two other significant wildfires that have destroyed several thousand structures in the Los Angeles metro area: the 17,000-acre Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu and the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena.