A brush fire erupted Tuesday evening in the Eaton Canyon area , with flames fanned by gusting Santa Ana winds.
Tune in to KNX News for the latest.
The fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena and quickly grew to 400 acres, according to Cal Fire.
Initially dubbed the Close Fire but later changed to the Eaton Fire, the blaze was initially estimated at about 10 acres, but it quickly exploded across 200 acres thanks to Santa Ana winds that prompted critical fire danger warnings throughout the region.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued, affecting the areas of Altadena Drive, Kinneloa Canyon Road, Outpost Lane, Glen Springs, Coolidge, Miranda, Roosevelt, Veranda and Kinclair Drive, according to the Angeles National Forest.
KNX News’ Craig Fiegener was on the scene as a senior center in Altadena has been evacuated due to the fire, leaving many residents stranded in a parking lot near a 7-Eleven.
Several medical vehicles and buses are being used to move the seniors out of the area.