A brush fire broke out Tuesday night in the Eaton Canyon area north of Altadena as Southern California braced for a night of strong winds.
The Eaton Fire, estimated at about 200 acres, was reported at about 6:30 p.m. in the foothill community northeast of Los Angeles. An orange glow and smoke plume could be seen for miles around in the San Gabriel Valley to the south.
“With the wind, it’s going to grow quickly, I’m afraid,” said LA County Fire Capt. Sheila Kelliher.
Evacuations were underway, according to Angeles National Forest.
The fire is near the Eaton Canyon Natural Area hiking and equestrian trails.
Red flag warnings will be in effect into Thursday with wind gusts of 60 mph to 80 mph possible in some areas. The strongest winds are expected between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday, a brush fire quickly spread in the Pacific Palisades area. The Palisades Fire burned homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate as it grew to more than 1,200 acres on the LA County coast.