Firefighters battling flames amid a heat wave in Southern California are struggling to gain control of a wildfire that exploded over the weekend to more than 13,000 acres, prompting evacuations and threatening homes, including Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, officials said.
The Lake Fire burning in Santa Barbara County near the Los Padres National Forest was 0% contained as of Sunday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE).
The Lake Fire is one of 21 wildfires burning in California on Sunday, CAL FIRE said.
The wildland blaze about 40 miles north of the city of Santa Barbara started on Friday afternoon near Zaca Lake in the Los Padres National Forest.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department issued evacuation orders on Saturday night as the blaze grew to 13,264 acres.
The evacuation orders included the 5000 block of Figueroa Mountain Road, where Michael Jackson’s former ranch is located, officials said.