Strong winds and steep terrain hamper crews battling the Los Angeles area’s first major fire of the year

GORMAN, California – High winds fanned flames through dry brush in the mountains along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles on Sunday, and authorities warned residents in the path of the fire to prepare to leave if it broke out again.

Los Angeles County’s first major wildfire of the year quickly grew to nearly 23 square miles (60 square kilometers), a day after forcing the evacuation of at least 1,200 campers, off-roaders and hikers from the Hungry Valley Recreation Area.

The fire, dubbed the Post Fire, was just 2% contained as of Sunday night. No injuries were reported. The cause was under investigation.

Firefighters working in sweltering conditions and steep terrain rushed to put out fires that broke out when unpredictable winds blew embers ahead of the flames, said Kenichi Haskett, section chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The gusts also hampered efforts by aircraft crews to drop water and fire retardant, he said.

“When it’s windy, it just blows water everywhere we don’t need it. So that’s a challenge,” Haskett said.

Meanwhile, in Northern California, a small wildfire sparked on Sunday prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma. The so-called Point Fire sent up a huge plume of dark smoke as it raged through brush and wood about 80 miles north of San Francisco. It was 15% contained.

The Southern California fire broke out Saturday afternoon near I-5 in Gorman, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. Two structures burned within the evacuated recreation area.

Flames were advancing toward Pyramid Lake, a popular destination for boaters that was closed as a precaution on Father’s Day. No homes were threatened on Sunday, but authorities warned residents of Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, that they should prepare to leave if the fire advances further south.

“If you are in an alert area, be prepared with a ‘travel bag’, with sleeping clothes and your cell phone, your medicines, your glasses. Gas up your car,” Haskett said. “Be ready to evacuate.”

Low humidity and gusts of about 50 mph were expected throughout the day, and winds could pick up speed after sunset, the National Weather Service Los Angeles office warned.

About 75 miles (120 kilometers) to the east, the nearly 2-square-mile (5-square-kilometer) Hesperia Fire forced road closures and prompted evacuation warnings after it broke out Saturday near mountain communities in San Bernardino County. The fire was 20% contained by Sunday night.

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Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and radio reporter Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.