A brush fire quickly spread near Towsley Canyon on Tuesday afternoon, with initial reports indicating it had grown by 50 acres within a half-hour.
The call was received by the first responders at 1:27 p.m. on the 24000 block of The Old Road.
“We received a report of flames and smoke coming from an area near Towsley Canyon Park,” said Leslie Lua, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department, at 1:35 p.m.
At 2 p.m., officials on the scene gave their initial report that the fire was 50 acres in size, in medium-to-heavy brush, and was being spread by 30 mph northeast winds, according to Chris Thomas, a spokesman for the Fire Department.
Santa Clarita Valley DUI Arrests, Fatalities Down In 2020
In 2020 Santa Clarita DUI arrests decreased slightly compared to 2019, officials said.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Newhall Area Office and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station have released statistics on DUI arrests made over the last three years, revealing a decrease of roughly 3.5 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, the statistics show.
In 2020 alone 955 drivers were arrested for DUI throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.
Of those arrested, 684 of those arrests were by CHP officers, said Josh Greengard, spokesperson for the CHP Newhall Area Office.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies made 271 arrests, said Sgt. Scott Shoemaker, for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Traffic Office.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances around Monday’s shooting inside a gated community in Canyon Country.
The suspect, described by law enforcement only as a Hispanic man, was struck twice in the upper torso and was transported to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau officials.
While no other new information was available Tuesday morning, homicide detectives confirmed he was listed in critical condition.
The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. Monday on MacMillan Ranch Road near Warm Springs Drive inside a gated community after the man drove a red Toyota Tacoma truck through the gate, forcing his way into the community, according to a Nixle released by the Sheriff’s Department.
Christian musician Sean Feucht’s controversial “Let Us Worship” rallies concluded on New Year’s Eve with hundreds of people gathered at Higher Vision Church in Valencia as the Santa Clarita Valley continues its fight against a COVID-19 surge.
The open-air event started Thursday night, as attendees, some of whom were masked and socially distanced while others weren’t, sang, prayed, cheered and danced in crowds despite government restrictions on religious services that require physical distancing and masks to be worn at all times.
Many, if not most, of those who attended were residents from outside of the SCV, even California. Some Higher Vision Church members present declined to comment.
Deputies Cracking Down On Porch Pirates As Holidays Approach
With Christmas being next week, and Santa Clarita residents purchasing more gifts online this year due to the pandemic, Sheriff’s officials are offering tips to prevent packages from being stolen.
With the newest stay at home orders in place, more individuals are purchasing holiday gifts online, according to a social post from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Now with most sellers providing tracking on most packages, residents are being encouraged to not leave delivered items out for too long.
“Be aware of delivery dates and remove packages from your porch as quickly as possible,” Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s officials. “If you’re not home, ask a neighbor if they can retrieve your items.”