Santa Clarita Valley brush fire grows to 1,100 acres and is 49% contained

About 700 firefighters on Sunday continued to battle a brush fire in the Santa Clarita Valley that has grown to more than 1,100 acres, officials said.

The Sage fire is 49% contained, said Inspector Gustavo Medina of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

A small home caught fire in the burn area Sunday, but it was unclear whether that was the result of embers from the brush fire, Medina said.

No other structures or homes have been damaged and are no longer threatened. The fast-moving brush fire forced about 2,000 residents to evacuate when it broke out shortly after noon Saturday.

All of the residents have since been allowed to return to their homes, Medina said.

But with forecasters warning of increased winds, firefighters are bracing for a prolonged firefight.

“With the weather changing, we’re doing as much as we can,” Medina said.

On Saturday, more than 1,200 county and city firefighters aggressively attacked the blaze that was fueled by hot temperatures and winds of up to 25 mph. They were aided by a DC-10 aircraft that dropped fire retardant near the fire’s perimeter.

Officials reported that two firefighters, including one inmate firefighter, suffered minor injuries.

Firefighters were aided Sunday by low winds and cooler temperatures.

Several media outlets have reported that a car that veered off an embankment sparked the blaze. But Medina said that the cause was still under investigation.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of arson, and several arson investigators have been dispatched to the scene, Medina said.

“We are having to battle with Mother Nature,” Medina said. “The winds are blowing and the terrain is challenging. The firefighters are in dense, heavy brush, and after a five-year drought, all this vegetation is prime and ready to burn.”

Hot, dry and windy weather could encourage the fire’s growth Sunday. The region will see temperatures in the low 90s, about 20% humidity and gusts of up to 30 mph at high altitudes, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

On Monday, windy and warm conditions are expected to continue, but some wind currents could bring wet ocean air to the area, which would lower temperatures and bring much needed moisture to the air, Munroe said.

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UPDATES:

7:42 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional details on the size and containment of the fire.

5:08 p.m.: This article has been updated with new information regarding the number of firefighters battling the blaze and more details about weather conditions.