High heat, gusty winds driving Palmdale brush fire
A vegetation fire broke out near Palmdale Friday afternoon and scorched 100 acres, now officials warn the blaze has the potential to explode in size throughout the afternoon.
The Deer Fire was first reported around 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of North 35th Street and Avenue Q in Palmdale.
Firefighters arrived on scene and found the fire had already grown to around 100 acres. With temperatures in the triple digits and wind gusts reaching up to 36 mph, according to the National Weather Service, officials warned the fire could quadruple or even quintuple in size within an hour.
The entire Antelope Valley is currently experiencing “critical fire weather conditions” Friday, the NWS said.
The City of Palmdale warned that the fire would likely threaten structures and urged residents to avoid the area to allow fire personnel full access to battle the blaze. At this time, no evacuation orders have been issued.
Residents were encouraged to follow the latest conditions on the dedicated incident page on Watch Duty, a nonprofit organization that “alerts you of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.”
As of 4 p.m., the Deer Fire has burned 300 acres and the Los Angeles County Fire Department is the primary responding agency.
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