3:50p.m., Oct. 24, 2019
A wind-driven wildfire has forced evacuations north of San Francisco in Sonoma County.
Now, firefighters are protecting homes from a wind-whipped fire that's roaring toward subdivisions north of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County officials say the fire has grown to some 850 acres in just a few hours in the Canyon County area of Santa Clarita.
No homes have burned, but some evacuations are underway. Heavy smoke is shrouding the area, which is consuming brushy hills surrounded by neighborhoods.
The flames are fed by dry winds that are predicted to strengthen throughout the day across the region. Forecasters say peak gusts could top 70 mph (112 kph).
The state firefighting agency Cal Fire says the blaze near Geyserville has grown to 10,000 acres (15 square miles) early Thursday. The Sonoma County sheriff's office says evacuations have been ordered.
The National Weather Service says winds around the highest areas of Sonoma County have been blowing at speeds up to 70 mph, and elsewhere in the region there are winds between 30 mph and 50 mph.
