Photos: Route fire near Castaic explodes to over 5,000 acres

Triple digit temperatures and dry vegetation have created rapid spread of the Route fire near Castaic.

As of Thursday morning, the fire had burned more than 5,000 acres and was 12% contained.

The Route fire began around noon Wednesday and spread to about 60 acres by the time Los Angeles County firefighters were dispatched to the scene, according to the L.A. County Fire Department on Twitter. Flames burned about 250 acres by 5:27 p.m. near Lake Hughes Road on northbound Interstate 5, the Fire Department added.

A water-dropping helicopter hovers at the Castaic Lake State Recreation Area while battling the Route fire.

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Traffic streams north on Interstate 5 through the burn zone of the Route fire near Lake Castaic on Thursday.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

A water-dropping helicopter hovers at the Castaic Lake State Recreation Area while battling the Route fire.

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

A helicopter drops water on the Route fire near Castaic.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

A firefighter works on hotspots as a helicopter prepares to drop water on the Route fire near Castaic.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

Shrouded by smoke, an air tanker drops retardant on the Route fire near Castaic.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

High winds whip up embers from a hotspot at the Route fire near Castaic.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

A bulldozer works to build a fire line on the Route fire near Castaic.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)