Residents grateful flames didn't reach homes: 'It's been a long night'
As firefighters gain more control on the Canyon Fire, some residents are relieved the flames didn't reach their homes.
In the Hasley Canyon area, many homes were still standing as the fire burned in the distance.
"It's been a long night just watching the fire," said Castaic resident Geri Aebersold. "Just watching it coming up right there on that hill. A firefighter said, 'You're ok. We got this.'"
Rod Meyer, another Castaic resident, wasn't so lucky. He lost a few outbuildings in the fire, but firefighters were able to save his home.
"I got my golf cart and went down to call the fire department, and I said, 'Please get some water up here,'" he recalled. "They came up and they pulled all that metal apart and sprayed a bunch of water on it and got this all wet and saved it."
Meantime, some families like the Martins stayed behind to take care of their animals, including Izzie, their miniature pony.
Once they saw blue skies Thursday, they said it got easier to breathe.
"This morning was the worst, because no wind last night it just laid down like a blanket over all the homes, and it was really bad," said Terry Martin. "The wind picked up and has blown some of it away, so it's much easier to breathe out here."