A fast-moving brush fire near Gorman, California, forced evacuations and shut down parts of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine on Thursday, October 8.
Authorities named the blaze the Danny Fire, which expanded to about 150 acres within roughly an hour of its first report.
Cal Fire said the fire was first reported at approximately 4:50 p. m.
near Interstate 5 and Smokey Bear Road.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department initially described the blaze as covering about 10 acres, while later updates showed significant growth through the afternoon.
Cal Fire estimated the fire had reached 104 acres by 5:28 p. m.
, according to BakersfieldNow.
By about 5:50 p. m.
, the blaze had grown to 150 acres and was 13% contained, CBS News reported.
The Los Angeles Times later reported the fire covered about 140 acres and was 7% contained as of approximately 6:45 p.
m.
The changing acreage and containment figures reflect updates issued at different times as crews assessed the fire.
Officials requested additional firefighting resources to support operations.
Evacuations and Traffic Impacts
Los Angeles County authorities issued an evacuation order for an area roughly bounded by Old Ridge Road to the east and Interstate 5 near Bald Mountain to the west.
Additional evacuation warnings covered nearby communities and areas within the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area.
An emergency alert urged residents in the affected area to leave immediately.
"Gather family, pets, and LEAVE NOW," the alert read. "Your safety is in danger if you stay."
The evacuation warnings included the GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-A, GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-B and GOR-E004-A zones in Los Angeles County, according to updates carried by BakersfieldNow.
The fire also disrupted traffic on Interstate 5, a major route through the Grapevine connecting Southern California with the San Joaquin Valley.
The California Highway Patrol closed both directions near Smokey Bear Road as smoke reduced visibility for drivers.
Sgt.
Christian Stevens, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol Southern Division, said the closures began at approximately 4:30 p.
m. and continued until around 6:30 p.
m. , when some lanes reopened.
Authorities also closed the westbound State Route 138 connection leading to Interstate 5, CBS News reported.
Earlier updates indicated that all northbound lanes were affected, while officials later said two northbound lanes were expected to reopen soon.
Authorities had not established a definitive time for lifting the remaining restrictions.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the cause of the Danny Fire remained under investigation.
Officials had not released additional details about the circumstances that started the blaze.
