The fire began about 9 p.m. on Thursday near Interstate 210 in Sylmar at the northernmost edge of Los Angeles, where someone called 911 to report a brush fire. More than 1,000 firefighters were trying to curb the blaze on Friday, which was fueled by high winds and low humidity.

Other fires continued to rage in Southern California, including to the east of Los Angeles, where the Sandalwood fire had resulted in one death and destroyed at least 74 structures in Calimesa, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. That fire was 10 percent contained and had grown to 823 acres on Friday afternoon. It began when a dump truck dropped a load of burning trash, which ignited nearby vegetation.

Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said some people in the Saddleridge fire evacuation zones had endangered lives by staying at home and trying to fend off the fire with garden hoses . Fire officials said at least 25 homes had been destroyed, and they feared that the gusts would not let up.

“This is a wind-driven fire,” said Margaret Stewart, a department spokeswoman. “That is what has caused this fire to move. The winds are going to be extreme again.”

In a recreation center in Northridge that had been converted to a shelter, rows of cots sat on a basketball court as ash swirled outside. Mary Fernandez, a retired deputy sheriff who lives in Sylmar, was keeping an eye on her two dogs, Cowboy and Carlos.

Ms. Fernandez, 51, evacuated with only a few belongings and some dog food after spotting flames over the hillside behind her house.

“Just yesterday I was looking out my window and I was admiring the view of the rolling hills, and thinking that I was lucky to live in a place so pretty, you know?” Ms. Fernandez said. “And I hate to think about what it’ll look like when I go back.”