Evacuations ordered in 150-acre King Fire in Lancaster

Evacuations were ordered for a small area in western Lancaster after a brush fire broke out amid scorching heat Thursday.

As of 4 p.m., the flames covered about 150 acres in the area of 90th Street West and West Avenue K, erupting from a footprint of around 5 acres shortly before 3 p.m., Los Angeles County fire officials said.

The blaze was dubbed the King Fire.

Evacuations were ordered shortly before 4 p.m. for residents south of West Avenue I, north of West Avenue J, east of 70th Street West and west of 80th Street West.

West avenues I and J were both closed to traffic between 70th and 90th Street West, officials said.

Around 3:20 p.m. lumber stacked outdoors on a property that included multiple structures could be seen going up in flames in aerial video from Sky5.

More than 200 firefighters were called in to battle the flames in the air and on the ground.

The fire was spreading across dry, flat terrain in intense heat, sending large amounts of white smoke across the area.

The blaze erupted amid a heat wave that shattered multiple temperature records across the Antelope Valley this week.

On Wednesday, Palmdale, Lancaster and Sandberg all saw records set in 1961 break, the second day in a row the heat reached record levels in Palmdale. 

On Thursday, the temperature in Lancaster hit 111 degrees, with winds blowing at about 22 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Due to the prolonged sweltering weather, Californians are being asked to reduce their energy consumption between 5 and 10 p.m. Thursday to relieve strain on the state’s power grid. The Flex Alert will also be in effect Friday between 6 and 9 p.m.

Check back for updates on this developing story.