US EditionHundreds of lightning strikes logged, some sparking brush fires around Southern California
More than 1,300 lightning strikes caused multiple small fires amid a late-summer heat wave, with some fires burning up to 55 acres and containment efforts underway.
- On Saturday, August 23, 2025, firefighters in Trabuco Canyon responded after lightning ignited the Club Fire in the 20 block of Club Vista, holding it to 4.25 acres by 10:45 a.m. with no injuries or structural damage reported.
- A late-summer heat wave spawned thunderstorms overnight into Saturday that generated more than 1,300 lightning strikes across Southern California, including 661 in Riverside County.
- By Saturday afternoon officials reported the Vail fire in Riverside County burned 55 acres and was 25% contained while Angeles National Forest crews battled small lightning fires from Mount Baldy to the Antelope Valley, including near Table Mountain and Old Ridge Route.
- State and local agencies mobilized additional resources, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying the state pre-deployed 10 fire engines, two water tenders, two bulldozers, one helicopter, two hand crews, three dispatchers and one Incident Management Team.
- The National Weather Service warned storms and dry lightning could persist through Tuesday, with red flag and extreme heat warnings maintaining elevated fire danger in Los Angeles County foothills.
10 Articles
10 Articles
San Bernardino Sun
Hundreds of lightning strikes logged, some sparking brush fires around Southern California
The late-summer heat wave took a turn overnight Friday, Aug. 22, into Saturday, Aug. 23, when lightning and thunderstorms moved through Southern California, producing more than 1,300 strikes as of mid-afternoon and sparking multiple fires in the Angeles National Forest and elsewhere. As of about 3 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded widespread lightning activity from Los Angeles to San Bernardino counties. Riverside County had 661 lightn…
Lightning sparks brush fire in Trabuco Canyon as thunderstorm moves through region
Firefighters put out a vegetation fire sparked by a lightning strike in Trabuco Canyon on Saturday morning, Aug. 23, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Club fire, was reported just before 9 a.m. in the 20 block of Club Vista in Trabuco Canyon, near Dove Canyon, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta said. Ground crews and aircraft stopped forward progress of the fire around 10:45 a.m., and it was held to 4.25 acres, according to Watc…
Lightning fires erupt as scattered thunder, rain hit L.A. County during heat wave
Multiple little lightning fires erupted on Saturday morning as thunder and brief rain showers moved across parts of Los Angeles County, surprising many as an extended heat wave continues through the weekend. The National Weather Service reported scattered, fast-moving showers, isolated thunderstorms and lightning across L.A. County and nearby coastal areas around 7:40 a.m. KTLA meteorologist Kasey Montoya noted that dry lightning remains a fire …
Lightning sparks small fires in Southern California mountains
Firefighters in Angeles National Forest and other areas responded to several small wildfires sparked Saturday by thunderstorms in the region as extreme heat elevated fire danger in Southern California. The fires in the mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties burned on a day of red flag warnings that were set to expire Saturday night. An extreme heat warning...
Firefighters in Angeles National Forest responded to at least three small wildfires sparked by thunderstorms in Southern California.
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