BLAZE CLOSES FREEWAY ONE HOME LOST TO FLAMES THAT ROAR ALONG HIGHWAY 14.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry and Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writers

SANTA CLARITA - Erratic winds whipped flames Monday through parched brush in Santa Clarita, destroying one home, threatening dozens more and creating a miles-long traffic jam for commuters heading home.

With flames lashing at a major power line that crosses the Antelope Valley Freeway, officials closed not only that route, but Sierra Highway, an alternative for thousands of commuters heading home to northern Los Angeles County.

The fire started near the freeway, shifted to the south, then suddenly bounded north, firefighters said. Residents fled as flames raced toward their neighborhood.

``Once it started going uphill, it was like a freight train,'' said Capt. David Morse of the Duarte Fire Department, which was called in to help.

In the midst of this, the driest year on record, three major fires already have burned thousands of acres this season in the Santa Clarita area. And with temperatures predicted to be in triple digits this week, firefighters were on alert for more.

Monday's fire broke out about 12:30 p.m. along the freeway near Placerita Canyon Road. By late afternoon, 150 acres had burned and about 200 homes were evacuated.

Plumber Don Richards, on a call in the area, stopped to help a family fleeing its Goldstream Way home as the roof ignited. While the mother and daughter left, 18-year-old Collin VanDeusen 18, stayed behind, hosing down the roof.

``I'm glad he showed up,'' VanDeusen said. ``If he wasn't here, I wouldn't have stayed. If I would have left, our house would have been gone.''

Across the street, a line of pine trees ignited, spitting flame.

``You could feel the trees burning from here,'' Richards said. ``Everyone was running for their lives.''

Three hundred firefighters battled flames as sheriff's deputies tried to ease the traffic jams that gridlocked city streets and backed up freeways into the San Fernando Valley.

Parents stuck in traffic called KinderCare Learning Center in Canyon Country, concerned they would be late and worried about their children, director Jeana Harris said. The center extended its hours and planned on serving dinner to its young charges.

``Everybody's calling, everyone's late,'' Harris said. ``I told them not to worry, we'll take care of their children. We're cooking ravioli and having fruit.''

Harris said she advised parents to take the back routes home.

``All the freeway traffic was dumped off into the city,'' sheriff's Lt. Scott Young said. ``Normally we would use Sierra Highway, but because the power lines were shut down on Sierra Highway and the fire jumped over from the freeway, the fire trucks are using it.

``People are being pushed off into the city to make the best they can. It's very busy at all the intersections considering the amount of traffic the 14 (Freeway) carries.''

Some relief came as the city's camera system at some major intersections recorded traffic increases and adjusted the timing of the traffic signals accordingly, Young said.

Still, on the Golden State Freeway approaching Highway 14, traffic stood still for about a dozen miles. The same was true on The Old Road, which follows I-5.

Frustrated, many motorists made U-turns on the two freeways and headed the wrong way, trying to avoid the fire and congestion. The result was a crash involving five vehicles on the northbound I-5 at its junction with the 14.

``This is probably the worst time of day to have any incident happen on the freeway,'' said Officer Doug Sweeney of the California Highway Patrol. ``It's a mess.''

Reserve sheriff's Deputy Herb Haas helped with the evacuations, delivering four children home in the neighborhood to their anxious parents.

``We walked them out of the fire area to their parents,'' Haas said. ``We told people to get their belongings and get out.''

Staff Writer Naush Boghossian contributed to this report.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Firefighters wet down their own engines as they monitor the progress of a wildfire along the Antelope Valley Freeway on Monday.

(2 -- color) At left, a resident covers her face against the smoke as she runs along Mountain Pass Road in Santa Clarita, ready to evacuate.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) Traffic on the jammed freeway, closed when flames came dangerously near power lines, is routed off at San Fernando Road.

(4 -- color) A sheriff's deputy, right, tries in vain with a fire extinguisher to put out the first of the flames that burned one home and closed the freeway Monday.

(5 -- color) A camp crew makes its way through heavy smoke to reach the blaze that broke out along the Antelope Valley Freeway.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News