Southern California Wildfire Causes Panic After Erupting Next Door to Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain was threatened with a massive wildfire over the weekend, bringing back [...]

By Michael Hein

Six Flags Magic Mountain was threatened with a massive wildfire over the weekend, bringing back unwelcome memories of the winter.

Six Flags' Southern California amusement park, Magic Mountain, was nearly the latest casualty of the state's growing wildfire epidemic. On Sunday, a new catastrophic wildfire broke out right next door to the theme park, as well as the adjacent water park Hurricane Harbor.

Customers took to Twitter to share harrowing pictures and videos of the blaze, which was named Sky Fire by officials. According to a report by TMZ, it started at around noon on Sunday in Santa Clarita, California.

Some brave fans even caught footage of the flames from on top of roller coasters, many of which were still operating as the fire grew worse. It was clear that smoke was blowing over into the area, and the scene looked odd to say the least.

At first, guests were evacuated from the park as the fire grew. Eventually however, officials determined that it would be safer for them to shelter in place. All of the nearby roads were closed to prevent others from driving into the blaze unknowingly, so the park-goers would have had nowhere to go even if they had been let out.

On Sunday afternoon, firefighters reported that Sky Fire had burned up as much as 50 acres of land. They said that it was 20 percent contained at the time. On Monday morning, local news outlet KTLA5 reported that the fire had burned about 100 acres in total. After working overnight, firefighters called it 70 percent contained.

The latest report from Monday afternoon states that the Sky Fire was 90 percent contained by around 2 p.m. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the flames did not threaten any structures, and there were no injuries or deaths to report. The fire was fueled predominately by dry foliage, and the land it torched was brush.

The Sky Fire is just the latest in a string of deadly wildfires plaguing California. In November, the state was beset by two massive blazes — the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire, as well as a few smaller ones. Others have followed since, and experts warn that even more are likely on the way.

The latest forecast for southern California warns of a high risk of wildfires this week, particularly Monday and Tuesday. The temperature will climb up over 90 degrees, and the dry conditions are perfect for a spark to light a huge blaze.

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