California wildfire forces 1,200 people to evacuate and burns over 16 sq miles

Cause of blaze, named Post Fire, unknown as two buildings damaged and nearby valley and lake reservoir close

A wildfire that forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 people in southern California has burned more than 16 sq miles, officials said Sunday.

The blaze, named the Post Fire, started Saturday and was burning near the Interstate 5 freeway in Gorman, about 62 miles (100km) north-west of Los Angeles, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection.

California state park services evacuated 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles county fire department said.

The flames broke out at around 1.45pm, authorities said. The cause isn't known.

No homes were threatened by the fire but two commercial buildings have been damaged, the Los Angeles county fire department said Sunday.

The fire was moving south-east toward Pyramid Lake and crews were constructing perimeter fire lines while aircraft worked against limited visibility to stop the fire's progress, the fire department said. Fire lines had been built around 2% of the perimeter as of Sunday morning, the Los Angeles county fire department said.

Strong winds will impact firefighting efforts, especially after 8pm, the department said.