Burned area 41,432 acres (168 km) Start date July 22, 2016 Fatalities 2 | Buildings
destroyed 18 Location Santa Clarita Valley Location Santa Clarita Valley | |
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Similar Soberanes Fire, Canyon Fire, Blue Cut Fire, 2007 California wildfires, Butte Fire | ||
2016 sand fire
The Sand Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Angeles National Forest east of the Santa Clarita Valley in Los Angeles County, California. The fire, named for the area's Sand Canyon, is fueled by heavy chaparral and brush.
Contents
Snapshots from the sand fire
Events
The fire started around 2:10 p.m. on July 22, 2016 near the intersection Soledad Canyon Road and Sand Canyon Road. By 10 P.M., less than 8 hours after it was reported, the fire had burned at least 3,300 acres (13 km2). At the time the fire broke out, temperatures were over 110 °F (43 °C) with sustained winds of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) gusting up to 25 miles per hour (40 km/h).
The Santa Clarita Valley remained under a Red flag warning throughout the 23rd with temperatures reaching 106 °F (41 °C) and sustained 10-mile-per-hour (16 km/h) winds. By the evening of Saturday July 23, the fire had grown to 20,000 acres (81 km2) with 10% containment. Mandatory evacuations had been issued for parts of Sand Canyon, Placerita Canyon, and Little Tujunga Canyon areas. Hundreds of birds and animals were also evacuated from the Wildlife WayStation sanctuary in Little Tujunga Canyon.
Officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed Saturday night that a male's body had been found in the burn area. The body, which was located on North Iron Canyon Road well within the mandatory evacuation area, was identified as Robert Bresnick, a 67-year-old man who had been visiting a friend in the area and had refused to evacuate.
Sunday afternoon officials confirmed that Sable Ranch, a popular filming location, had been destroyed by the fire. Popular shows including Maverick, The A-Team and 24 were all filmed at Sable Ranch.
By Monday July 25, the fire had reach an estimated 35,155 acres (142.27 km2) with 40% of the perimeter contained. Officials announced that at 7 p.m. most residents would be allowed to return home, with the exception of residents living on Placerita Canyon Road and Tujunga Canyon Road.
Officials announced on August 3rd that the fire was contained after burning 41,432 acres (168 km2) of land, and was completely contained on November 7, 2016.
Effects
According to the United States Forest Service, 3,379 firefighters were assigned to the fire which prompted the evacuation of at least 10,000 homes. On Tuesday July 26th, Los Angeles county declared a state of emergency, with over 37,000 acres (150 km2) burned. Acting Gov. Tom Torlakson, the state’s top education official who was filling in while Gov. Jerry Brown attended the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, issued the emergency order, a move that helped quickly get aid to affected communities.