Palmdale Fires, Crown Fire, Wildfire Updates- Live Twitter, Video

Three water-dropping helicopters and hundreds of firefighters worked throughout the night to stop the fire, with little success. Early-evening winds pushed the flames north and east toward the suburbs of Los Angeles County's inland desert, authorities said.

There is zero containment, they said.

Orange flames exploded through dry grasses, jumped roads and sped across the rural foothills that connect Los Angeles to the high desert.

"Man, it looks bad outside. If I step outside the restaurant, it's just insane-looking — black and orange smoke and helicopters going through, dropping water," said Jamie Karschamroon, 29, the co-owner of Crazy Otto's diner in Leona Valley.

The fire broke out north of a state highway that snakes through the San Gabriel Mountains, connecting Los Angeles to the high desert. Angeles National Forest lands lie on either side.

The "Crown Fire" fire was reported just before 3 p.m.  More than 500 firefighters from all over Southern California were battling the blaze. It was unknown how the fire started.  

A sister fire that started about the same time as the Crown Fire was declared out at 8 p.m.   The "Briggs Fire,” burned south of the 14 Freeway at Indian Canyon Truck Trail and Briggs Road.