Firefighters are actively engaged in battling two significant brush fires that ignited on Saturday afternoon, one in the Burbank hills and another near Santa Clarita, leading to mandatory evacuations in affected areas.
The Burbank blaze, designated as the Walnut fire, erupted near the DeBell Golf Club and Wildwood Canyon Park. As of Saturday evening, the fire had consumed approximately 20 acres. Authorities issued an alert stating that the DeBell Restaurant and Golf Course, Stough Canyon Nature Center, and associated hiking trails were closed until further notice. Additionally, the Starlight Bowl concert scheduled for August 8 was canceled due to the fire.
A second, separate fire, referred to as the Tasha fire, was burning near the Newhall Pass close to Sierra Highway in Santa Clarita. CalFire reported that firefighting crews are contending with challenging conditions due to the fire's location in steep, rugged terrain with limited access, which complicates suppression efforts. Both ground and air resources are being deployed to impede the fire's progression and safeguard nearby residential areas.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents in the Calgrove and Wildwood neighborhoods. Evacuation warnings were also put in place for other sections of the Newhall Pass. Further details regarding the evacuation orders were being disseminated to the public as the situation developed.
