The College of the Canyons Valencia and Canyon Country campuses are set to resume normal operations Saturday after being closed since Wednesday due to the Hughes Fire.
College officials closed the campuses Wednesday as a precautionary measure, though neither campus was in an evacuation zone.
The campuses remained closed through Friday, though offices were staffed on Friday to provide phone and email support to students and the community.
The University Center has been used as a command center for first responders, where they could get meals, rest and get equipment checked.
Evacuees from the Castaic and Valencia areas were able to get meals and rest in the East Gym at the Valencia campus, which was set up by the American Red Cross as an evacuation shelter.
“The Valencia and Canyon Country campuses remain closed Friday, Jan. 24, but the college is expected to reopen for normal operations on Saturday, Jan. 25,” reads a message on the COC website.
First responders are still set to be using parking lots 13, 14 and 15 — those nearest to the University Center on the south side of the campus — and those lots will be unavailable to the public, including students and employees, the message states.
Activity at the evacuation center has decreased significantly as of Friday morning, the message added.
“We are awaiting word on its status,” the message states.
All in-person classes were canceled starting Wednesday afternoon through Friday, but online classes were still being held during the campus closure.
The board of trustees meeting scheduled for Wednesday was also canceled. A new date for that meeting has yet to be scheduled.
“We know this has been a challenging time for both college employees and students, especially those directly impacted by the fire, and we appreciate your patience and flexibility as we continue responding to this community emergency,” reads Thursday evening’s update to the community. “We are grateful for the opportunity to serve as a resource and make our facilities available to support the Santa Clarita Valley. We especially appreciate the dedication and professionalism of first responders, the American Red Cross and other organizations that mobilized quickly to protect our community.”
As of Friday morning, the Hughes Fire in Castaic was at 10,396 acres with 56% containment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.