a red fire extinguisher with a black background

BY CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ STAFF WRITER

A wildfire near Castaic prompted mandatory evacuations and the closure of all lanes of the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon as triple-digit temperatures hit Southern California.

The Route fire was first reported just after noon and was burning along the freeway near Lake Hughes Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

By 4 p.m., the fire had grown to nearly 250 acres as authorities ordered evacuations for the Paradise Ranch Estates mobile home park and structures south of Templin Highway, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

“All residents ordered to evacuate to the north,” the department said in a tweet.

Northlake Hills Elementary School, located between the 5 and Ridge Route Road, was also being evacuated, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

Sheriff’s deputies were reportedly helping 10 staff members and students off the campus, Barger said in a tweet around 4:45 p.m.

Two firefighters were transported to a hospital with minor heat-related injuries, the Fire Department said.

Temperatures in the area reached nearly 110 degrees by midday with 12% humidity, according to the National Weather Service.

All lanes of the freeway were closed with southbound traffic being diverted at Vista Del Lago Road and northbound traffic being diverted at Lake Hughes Road, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Footage from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed flames on both sides of the southbound lanes with smoke rising from rolling, dry hills. The southbound and northbound lanes are separated by a large hill.

A large tanker could be seen dropping fire retardant along the fire line.

For more information about fire safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

a frying pan filled with food on top of a stove

We all want to feel safe in our own homes. It’s a sanctuary away from all of the outside world’s madness. We kick off our shoes, fix ourselves a nice hot meal and curl up on the couch with our favorite relaxing pastime. We keep a first aid kit handy, lock our doors, we keep our phone charged and close by – all of these little habits keep us prepared for anything.

One of the leading causes of home injuries and deaths in the home is related to cooking. And those of us that are 65+ are at an even higher risk. Unfortunately, we all need to eat. And while all these tips work for everyone, let’s also protect those of us on the latter side of life with these simple cooking tips for fire safety:

Don’t forget. There are times when we get sidetracked – it’s natural. So, if you need to step away from the kitchen for even a small amount of time, turn off the oven/stove.

Keep it clean. Grease fires can start unexpectedly. To lessen the chance of these happening, keep the range clean from grease or other debris that can accidentally catch from a stray flame.

Tighten things up. The last thing we think about when we are in the kitchen is what we are wearing. When cooking, keep your sleeves rolled up to prevent accidentally catching on an open flame.

Test the alarms. It’s important to test smoke detectors on a monthly basis and change out batteries once a year. Keeping these alarms in abundance throughout the house will give ample time to get to safety.

For more information about cooking fire safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.