Wildfire in California's Cleveland National Forest Forces Evacuations

Firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in California's Cleveland National Forest after the blaze exploded in size Friday, from just 300 acres to more than 1,600 acres, forcing the evacuation of 30 homes in Orange County's Silverado Canyon.

The Silverado Fire started in the backyard of a home in rural Silverado Canyon around 11 a.m. on Friday and quickly tore through the area’s drought-parched vegetation. It took just hours for the fire to grow, with temperatures reaching into the upper 90's and wind gusts of 10 to 20 mph pushing embers into dry vegetation, igniting additional flames.

With conditions ripe for the fire to spread, the Orange County Sheriff's department issued a mandatory evacuation just after 6 p.m. local time for 30 homes in Silverado Canyon. But officials said the evacuations were issued only as a preventative measure.

In a news release from the Orange County Emergency Operations Center, officials said that no structures are threatened but that several roads were closed to make way for emergency personnel. The O.C. register reports that on Friday afternoon the fire was traveling up the canyon walls and away from about 40 homes on the canyon floor. Crews were attempting to isolate the blaze along the ridgeline, but had additional crews in place to protect homes at the bottom of the canyon if the flames changed direction, according to the L.A. Times.

According to weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam, firefighting conditions aren't likely to improve throughout the weekend, as it will remain hot and dry throughout the area.

That's bad news for the more than 700 firefighters were attempting to tackle the fire on the ground in what InciWeb called an “aggressive initial attack.” At least three helicopters and two air tankers were also assisting in trying to gain control of the blaze, KTLA 5 reports. According to the O.C. Register, firefighters have been hampered by steep terrain and oppressive heat. As of Saturday morning, the fire was only 10 percent contained.

Earlier on Friday, officials have recommended that around 70 people evacuate the area and many residents already voluntarily left the area.

“A neighbor called and said, ‘Have you seen the fire? … Look outside your house,’ and it was right behind the house,” a resident told KTLA 5. “We immediately just grabbed ourselves, our passports and few valuables and ran.”

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Cleveland National Forest sprawls over the rugged peaks of the Santa Ana Mountains straddling the Orange and Riverside county line southeast of Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.