The Powerhouse community before the fire (creative commons)

By Saturday, nearly 20,000 acres had been burned with at least five structures destroyed and roughly 1,000 others threatened. The flames have been pushed from Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth to come burning dangerously close to two foothill communities north of Los Angeles.

The fire station has done what they can to stop the destruction, reported to have contained 20% of the fire. Water-dropping helicopters were used throughout the night while the other firefighters helped evacuate everyone in the vicinity. At one point, the fire station itself was surrounded by flames.

From Mercury News: 

"A huge plume of smoke could be seen from much of various parts of northern Los Angeles County throughout Saturday, and air-quality officials warned against strenuous outdoor activity.

The blaze broke out Thursday just north of Powerhouse No. 1, a hydroelectric plant near the Los Angeles Aqueduct, forcing about 200 evacuations in the mountain community of Green Valley.

Evacuations remained in effect for the Cottonwood campground and two youth probation camps along Lake Hughes Canyon Road."

While the initial cause of the fire is still under investigation, the spreading is due to the dry bush and hot, arid conditions. 

From an interview with the L.A. Times, Sara Ford, 43, said “We have had fires out here before, but this is the closest that it's ever been in my 18 years of living here."  Ford is a wife and mother of two sons, that had to evacuate her home on the western part of the Elizabeth Lake Golf Course in the Club Ranch Area. 

The numbers and level of destruction is still being estimated as the struggle to contain the fire continues.

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra, here.