LOS ANGELES — Wildfires burned out of control Saturday in mountains north of Los Angeles and near Big Sur on California’s scenic Central Coast, posing a threat to 2,000 homes and a sanctuary for exotic animals that was being evacuated, authorities said.
Southern California firefighters toiled in another day of triple-digit heat. Central Coast temperatures were more moderate, but conditions included winds and low humidity.
The fire in northern Los Angeles County grew to 20,000 acres, or more than 31 square miles, spreading smoke across the city and suburbs. Containment was estimated at just 10 percent.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that at times air quality would reach unhealthy levels. Suburban Pasadena and Glendale closed their municipal pools because of smoke and falling ash.
The fire erupted Friday afternoon in the Sand Canyon area of suburban Santa Clarita near State Route 14. Winds pushed it into the adjacent Angeles National Forest.
The fire was a threat to 1,000 homes by Saturday afternoon, Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp said.
“But if we were to get very extreme fire behavior, we’re up to 45,000 homes … mainly down in the San Fernando Valley,” Tripp said.
Hundreds of county and Angeles National Forest firefighters battled the blaze, aided by three dozen water-dropping helicopters and retardant-dropping airplanes. Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said early in the day smoke kept aircraft waiting for the air to clear.
About 400 animals were being evacuated from the Wildlife Waystation, a nonprofit sanctuary for rescued exotic creatures within the national forest. A Bengal tiger was sedated and trucked away.
“We’ve got big cats, tigers, bears, we’ve got hyenas, we’ve got chimps,” executive director Susan Hartland said.
The sanctuary’s Facebook page appealed for donations of flatbed and enclosed trucks as well as an air-conditioned warehouse to house the animals.
Big Sur fire
About 300 miles up the coast, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters battled a 10-square-mile blaze in rugged mountains north of the Big Sur region.
The blaze 5 miles south of Garrapata State Park posed a threat to about 1,000 homes and the community of Palo Colorado was ordered evacuated, Cal Fire said.
Highway 1 and businesses in the Big Sur area, a major tourist destination, remained open.
