Photos: Brush Fire Near Santa Clarita Prompts Evacuations [Updated]

A brush fire broke out this afternoon in the Santa Clarita Valley, and has spread rapidly, prompting evacuations.

City News Service reports firefighters were sent to The Old Road and Calgrove Boulevard in Newhall around 12:05 p.m. Fire officials said that the Stevenson Ranch community has been evacuated, as is Southern Oak Drive between Greenbriar Drive and Meadow Lane. LAFD's Gustavo Medina told CNS that so far, 60 homes have been evacuated.

According to the Santa Clarity Valley Signal, the fire has burned 450 acres as of 3 p.m., but so far, no structures have yet been damaged. More than 200 firefighters are on the scene, as are four helicopters that are making "water drops." L.A. County Fire Department authorities note that the fire is currently at 0% containment. Dispatcher Cheryl Sims told the SCV Signal that the fire may be due to a nearby vehicle fire.

While some earlier reports stated that an evacuation center has been organized at Santa Clarita's College of the Canyons, that information is no longer correct: instead, an evacuation center is being set up at West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch, at 26255 Valencia Blvd.

As we reported earlier, it's going to be very windy for the next two days; let's hope this doesn't worsen things for firefighters out there today.

Updated, 7/10, 10:09 a.m.: KTLA reports that the Newhall blaze, now dubbed the "Sage Fire," grew to 1100 acres overnight, but that containment also reached 20 percent. Additionally, evacuation orders were lifted around 9:30 p.m. and residents were allowed to return home.