The fire, which was burning near the town of Apple Valley, had exploded to over 4,200 acres since starting on Tuesday afternoon.

The Ranch Fire quickly burned through over 4,200 acres on Tuesday, forcing evacuations in Apple Valley, according to law enforcement. The fire was first reported around 1:35 p.m. near Bowden Ranch Road and Coxey Truck Trail, just south of Apple Valley, based on fire department logs.

The hazardous areas, marked in an ominous bright red on Cal Fire's maps, ballooned by many thousand acres in Chino Hills, Hesperia, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clarita and Palmdale. Now ...