A new wildfire erupted in West Hills, California, Thursday evening, close to homes in the Calabasas and Hidden Hills areas.
The Kenneth Fire started near the west end of Victory Boulevard at around 2:30 p.m. and consumed 960 acres of brush with zero percent containment, as of 7:45 p.m., fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds.
Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, the Ventura County Fire Department said forward progress of the fire had been stopped, and that “approximately 400 Firefighters will remain on scene through the night, continuing to provide structure protection and knock down hot spots.” As of the early hours of Friday morning, the Kenneth Fire was 35 percent contained. However, according to latest numbers from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire was back to zero containment by early Friday morning.
Mandatory evacuation orders were initially issued for areas around Vanowen Street south to Burbank Boulevard and County Lane Road east to Valley Circle Boulevard, but they were downgraded to an evacuation warning just before 5:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Evacuation warnings issued in Ventura County have also been lifted, noting that evacuations are changing rapidly.
“The challenging terrain and persistent winds complicate suppression activities, necessitating heightened vigilance from residents and adherence to directives from local authorities,” Incident commanders shared in a bulletin.
Traffic backs up as residents evacuate ahead of the Kenneth Fire on Jan. 9, 2025, in Calabasas, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Hidden Hills, which has become a celebrity hotspot in recent years, is home to many Hollywood stars, including Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner, among others.
Britney Spears, who resides in the Thousand Oaks area, located just above West Hills, shared on Instagram on Thursday evening that she had evacuated. “I hope you are all doing OK !!! I had to evacuate my home and I’m driving 4 hours to a hotel !!!” Spears wrote. “I’m posting these adorable shoes to lift people’s spirits !!! Most people may not even be on their phones !!! I wasn’t the past two days because I had no electricity to charge and I just got my phone back !!! I pray you’re all doing well and I send my love.”
Wildfires initially broke out Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, before spreading to parts of Malibu and Santa Monica overnight. As of Thursday evening, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the Palisades Fire was six percent contained. The Eaton Fire is the only one to remain at zero percent containment.
An aerial view of destroyed homes along the beach as the Palisades Fire continues to burn in Malibu.
The Lidia fire is currently 75 percent contained, and the Hurst fire is 37 percent contained.
Another fire, named the Sunset Fire, broke out Wednesday night in the Hollywood Hills, endangering iconic landmark the Hollywood Bowl, among other tourist destinations. By Thursday morning, firefighters were able to contain the blaze and all evacuation orders were lifted.
This is a developing story.
