Lightning ignites multiple small fires across SoCal amid heat wave, red flag warnings

Lightning ignited several small fires across Southern California on Saturday.

A few fires were sparked on Saturday morning in the Angeles National Forest, prompting responses from firefighters at locations from Mount Baldy to the Antelope Valley, officials said.

Shortly after 9 a.m., U.S. Forest Service firefighters responded to a tree fire caused by a lightning strike on Mt. Baldy Road, near the Manker Flat campground, the agency said.

Just before 9:30 a.m., Angeles National Forest and Los Angeles County firefighters were battling two lightning fires southwest of Littlerock, near Mt. Emma Road and 47th Street East.

Minutes later, the so-called Table Fire was reported just west of Wrightwood, near Table Mountain. Firefighters from the Forest Service and L.A. and San Bernardino counties responded to that blaze, which was also sparked by lightning, officials said.

No injuries were structural damage were immediately reported.

Lightning also sparked the Club Fire burning in Orange County. It broke out near Dove Canyon on Saturday morning. Firefighters were able to hold the fire to just over four acres.

Fire officials say lightning is also to blame in the Vail Fire burning in a remote canyon of Riverside County, just east of Temecula near Vail Lake. The fire has burned 55 acres and is 25% contained.

Saturday's lightning and thunderstorms came as an extended heat wave continued to blanket Southern California, with red flag warnings and extreme heat warnings in effect throughout the region.