Frenchman Fire burns 75 acres in Angeles National Forest, authorities say

The Frenchman Fire has burned 75 acres in the Angeles National Forest Thursday afternoon as firefighters continue battling the devastating Mountain Fire in neighboring Ventura County.

The brush fire started near the 39000 block of Golden State Highway at 12:08 p.m., according to Angeles National Forest officials. At 1:36 p.m., the blaze was estimated to be 75 acres with no structures threatened and no injuries reported, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said .

Forecasters have issued a "particularly dangerous situation" Red Flag warning for the area, a rare weather advisory typically issued once every few years which carries a higher risk level than regular Reg Flag warnings. Extremely low humidity and powerful Santa Ana winds have combined to create the potential for wildfires that can easily spark and spread rapidly, forecasters say.

The same advisory remains in place until 3 p.m. for that part of Los Angeles County as well as Ventura County, where the devastating Mountain Fire continued to grow Thursday — reaching nearly 20,000 acres by noon. It injured people, destroyed homes in Camarillo and sent thousands fleeing in communities such as Somis, Santa Paula and the Moorpark area.