Fire crews stopped the Stevenson Ranch blaze—dubbed the Max fire—after it burned 45 acres, with evacuation orders around Pico Canyon Elementary School later lifted. The day also brought two other L.A. County fires—the Rock fire in the Antelope Valley and the H
By Monday night in the Santa Clarita Valley, the flames that had been creeping toward homes finally lost momentum. Crews brought the Stevenson Ranch brush fire—dubbed the Max fire—to a halt after it burned 45 acres, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The forward progress of the blaze was stopped within hours of it breaking out earlier in the afternoon. As of Monday night, the fire was 40% contained.
Evacuation orders had been issued for homes near the Pico Canyon Elementary School area, while evacuation warnings went out for homes in the area of Sagecrest Circle and Chicory Court. Those evacuation orders have since been lifted.
The Max fire started around 4:20 p.m. in the hiking area of Pico Canyon Park, near Magnolia Lane. Aerial footage showed large flames burning near a cul-de-sac of homes. Helicopters made water drops from above, and hand crews on the ground worked to create a containment line.
The Max fire was only one part of a three-fire scramble that unfolded across Southern California on Monday. In the Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County fire crews responded to the Rock fire, which broke out around 12:30 p.m. near West Avenue C and 190th Street West. By Monday night, the Rock fire had burned 95 acres and was 25% contained.
Roughly 12 miles southeast, crews responded to the Hazel fire at 3:27 p.m. near the intersection of North 90th Street and West Avenue I. Officials issued evacuation warnings before lifting them later. The Hazel fire burned more than 60 acres and destroyed several structures, including homes, according to CBS Los Angeles. Aerial footage showed firefighters spraying water on several buildings that were on fire.
In a single day, the timing of each blaze left little room for rest. One fire was met with evacuation orders and ground containment work in the Santa Clarita Valley, while other crews moved to separate locations—each with its own acreage numbers and containment percentages—under a relentless clock.
What sparked the fires remains under investigation.
Stevenson Ranch fire Max fire Pico Canyon Park Los Angeles County Fire Department evacuation orders lifted Santa Clarita Valley Pico Canyon Elementary School Sagecrest Circle Chicory Court Rock fire Hazel fire Antelope Valley Pico Canyon Park hiking area Magnolia Lane