Rapidly growing wildfire in Los Angeles County prompts evacuations in remote high desert

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fast-spreading blaze prompted evacuation orders Friday afternoon in a sparsely populated area of Los Angeles County.

The brush fire sparked around 1 p.m. under dry and scorching hot conditions in a remote high desert region about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of LA, according to the LA County Fire Department. Temperatures in the area soared to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

The fire reached about 2,700 acres (1,092 hectares) by evening, Angeles National Forest officials said on the social media platform X. It's unclear how many buildings are threatened by the blaze.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter at a YMCA in Los Angeles County.

The nearest town to its east is Piñon Hills, a census-designated community of about 7,200 people in San Bernardino County. Parts of the town were under an evacuation warning by Friday evening.

Most of the U.S. is entering a heat wave this weekend caused by an unusually strong and long-lasting heat dome that will add to an already high wildfire risk this year in many drought-stricken regions. Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal in some areas.