© David McNew/Getty Images Firefighters are forced to retreat as flame close in on them in Placerita Canyon at the Sand Fire on Sunday Santa Clarita.
The Sand fire has burned about 10,000 acres per day since it began Friday in the hills north of Los AngelesThousands of evacuees have been allowed to return home as the nearly 55-square-mile Sand Fire continues to burn in Southern California's Santa Clarita Valley.
Firefighters announced that all evacuated residents would be allowed to return home at 7 p.m. Monday, with the exception of Placerita Canyon Road from Running Horse Lane to Pacy Street and Little Tujunga Canyon Road from the Wildlife Way Station to Sand Canyon Road and Placerita Canyon Road.
Large animals were to be allowed to return as well.
The fire has burned about 10,000 acres per day since it began Friday in the hills north of Los Angeles, growing at a rate firefighters described as "almost unprecedented."
"It has averaged about 10,000 acres per day," said Chief Mike Wakoski, incident commander.
"An acre is a football field, so imagine that -- 10,000 football fields per day."Shifting winds have fanned the flames, which raced through neighborhoods and destroyed homes. One death, a man whose burned body was found in a scorched vehicle, was reported in the fire zone.
"This fire, what we've seen in 72 hours, is almost unprecedented," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Dennis Cross.
"We'd have to go back a long way to compare a fire to this. And, we're not through with this thing yet."
