First burned body found as California wildfire consumes 20,000 acres

A burned body was found on Saturday at the scene of a brushfire north of Los Angeles that has scorched 31 square miles and prompted the evacuation of 1,500 homes, authorities said. The body was discovered outside a home on Iron Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, and detectives are trying to determine whether the person was killed by the blaze or another cause, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Rob Hahnlein said. The home also may have burned, he said. The area was one of several neighborhoods ordered evacuated as the fire raged through bone-dry canyons and ranchlands. The fire burned through the area Saturday evening.

It’s going in different directions depending on which way the wind is blowing. It’s doing what it wants.

Nathan Judy, a spokesman for the U.S. Fire Service

More than 900 firefighters and water-dropping helicopters planned to battle the flames overnight, but they could face several fronts. About 300 miles up the coast, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters battled a 10-square-mile blaze in rugged mountains north of the majestic Big Sur region. The blaze 5 miles south of Garrapata State Park posed a threat to about 1,000 homes and the community of Palo Colorado was ordered evacuated, Cal Fire said.

We felt threatened this morning and decided we needed to go.

Jerri Masten-Hansen

Santa Clarita