The Bouquet Fire, burning northeast of Santa Clarita in the Angeles National Forest, had consumed 1,048 acres and was 40% contained by Sunday. Firefighters were set to continue battling the blaze throughout the morning.
The brush fire was initially reported at 2:16 p.m. on Saturday, originating in the 34800 block of Bouquet Canyon Road. An official with the Angeles National Forest announced the initial details on social media. The Angeles National Forest and the Los Angeles County Fire Department immediately dispatched crews to respond.
As Saturday afternoon progressed, a shift in wind conditions pushed the fire towards structures situated along Bouquet Canyon Road. This prompted urgent requests for structure protection and led to mandatory evacuation orders being issued for several zones. The Angeles National Forest announced these orders at 5:55 p.m. for zones LAC-E018, LAC-E030-B, and LAC-E031-A. Concurrently, evacuation warnings were put in place for a wider area, encompassing zones LAC-E016, LAC-E017, LAC-E019, LAC-E020, LAC-E021, LAC-E029, LAC-E030-A, LAC-E030-C, and LAC-E031-B.
To accommodate those displaced, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management opened a shelter at the Ryan M. Clinkunbroomer Castaic Sports Complex, an announcement made at 8:27 p.m. on Saturday. The shelter was not scheduled to resume taking new pets until 7 a.m. Sunday. Access to the area was also affected, as Bouquet Canyon Road was closed at Vasquez Canyon Road, according to Cal Fire.
Air support played a role in the initial response but faced limitations as night fell. Cal Fire announced at 6:02 p.m. on Saturday that fixed-wing aircraft were being released for the night due to low visibility. However, multiple air tankers were requested by Cal Fire for Sunday morning operations. Night-flying helicopters, which had been assisting with the fire fight, departed by 1:21 a.m. on Sunday, as also announced by Cal Fire.
By 10:22 p.m. on Saturday, the Angeles National Forest announced that the fire had grown to 1,044 acres. Despite the challenging overnight conditions, firefighters continued their efforts, an Angeles National Forest official confirmed on social media at the same time. The ongoing battle led to the updated figures on Sunday, showing the fire had reached 1,048 acres with a 40% containment level. Crews are expected to remain engaged throughout Sunday morning to strengthen containment lines and further suppress the blaze.
