At least 10 zones in Los Angeles and Ventura counties were under evacuation orders, with 2,700 residents displaced as of 11 pm (0600 GMT) Thursday, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd told AFP.
At least 400 personnel have been deployed to contain the fire, according to Dowd.
The blaze erupted as firefighters battled a separate wildfire -- California's largest of the year so far -- which raged for an eighth straight day and engulfed more than 99,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest, threatening hundreds of homes.
The latest fire has so far burned 4,856 acres and remains zero percent contained, Dowd said.
LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area, urged residents to heed evacuation guidelines.
"The #CanyonFire is spreading fast under extreme heat & dry conditions near Ventura-LA County line," Barger wrote on X.
"If you're in Santa Clarita, Hasley Canyon, or Val Verde, take evacuation orders seriously -- when first responders say GO, leave immediately. Keep aware--please don't risk lives."
The fires follow a July blaze that scorched more than 70,000 acres and needed hundreds of firefighters to contain it.
Fire authorities at the time noted that dry brush, sustained winds and high temperatures were fueling the flames.
That came after several earlier fires, stoking fears of a difficult season in a state still reeling from wildfires that killed 30 people in January.
Earlier this week, Zurich-based reinsurance giant Swiss Re said natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of this year, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires.
Canada sends troops to eastern province as fire damage grows
Montreal (AFP) Aug 7, 2025 -
Canada is sending troops and coast guard personnel to its easternmost province on Thursday to confront wildfires that have forced hundreds to evacuate, as the country endures one of its worst fire seasons on record.
Wildfires across the vast country this year have already burned 7.1 million hectares (17.5 million acres) of land, an area roughly the size of Ireland, according to official data updated Wednesday.
The figure matches the amount of land scorched in 1995, which had been the second worst season on record, with data going back to 1983.
With hot, dry conditions expected to persist across several regions, and 730 active fires burning, the damage this year is almost certain to pass the toll from two decades ago.
But 2025 is not on track to overtake 2023, when 17.3 million hectares (42.7 million acres) burned, an extraordinary toll that focused global attention on the growing threat of wildfires boosted by human-induced climate change.
Federal emergencies minister Eleanor Olszewski said late Wednesday that she had approved an "urgent request" from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to help battle growing wildfires.
"Help is on the way," Olszewski posted on X.
Provincial officials have estimated the number of people impacted by the latest evacuation orders at about 900.
Hundreds of people have also faced evacuation orders this week in the west coast province of British Columbia.
Federal troops have been deployed to help fire responses in several parts of the country this year, including the central provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where elevated temperatures and dry conditions led to a tumultuous spring.
In recent years, Canada has experienced warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the globe.
Linked to climate change, rising temperatures lead to reduced snow, shorter and milder winters, and earlier summer conditions that are conducive to fires, experts say.
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