A swath of a major California freeway was shut down as a massive wildfire — so severe that it sparked a state of emergency in Los Angeles County — burned its way toward the thoroughfare, causing the guardrails to simmer early Friday.
State Route 14, a north-south highway that connects Los Angeles to the northern Mojave Desert, was closed in both directions for the 15-plus miles between Golden Valley Road in Santa Clarita and Agua Dulce Canyon Road around 2:30 a.m. as flames from the wind-driven Tick Fire jumped the highway, KTLA reported.
Video from the Sand Canyon area, obtained by the station, showed embers blowing from one section of the thoroughfare and landing in the brush on the other.
The shutdown — and subsequent re-routing of traffic — sparked miles of backup by 5 a.m. local time, according to the report. It was not immediately clear how long the closure would be in effect.
The Sierra Highway, an alternate to the freeway, was also shut down between Davenport and Golden Valley, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The Tick Fire broke out Thursday afternoon in Southern California and charred 4,300 acres (6¼ square miles) in a few hours. It was only 5 percent contained by 9:30 a.m. local time — when more than 40,000 people remained under evacuation orders.
About 600 firefighters were assigned to the out-of-control blaze.
At least six structures were ravaged in the inferno, though that number is likely to rise once teams completely assess the area, L.A. County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said Friday, according to KTLA.
“We know that number is going to rise today as we have our damage assessment teams out,” the chief said, noting that more than 15,000 structures remain threatened, he added.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Friday tweet that he had declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County.
Meanwhile, in Northern California, the still-raging Kincade Fire has blackened 25 square miles, ravaged nearly 50 structures and forced thousands of evacuations.
Newsom also declared a state of emergency in Sonoma County, where that fire is burning.
