3 hours ago
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A fresh wildfire broke out north of
Los Angeles
on Wednesday, rapidly growing and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents in an area already struggling with massive fire damage.
Evacuation order issued
Near Castaic Lake, intense flames consumed hillsides, quickly spreading across more than 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) within hours. Strong, dry
Santa Ana winds
propelled the fire, pushing smoke and dangerous embers ahead of the flames. Authorities ordered 31,000 people to evacuate around the lake, situated 35 miles (56 kilometres) north of Los Angeles, near Santa Clarita.
"I'm just praying that our house doesn't burn down," one resident told broadcaster KTLA whilst loading his vehicle.
The incident occurred whilst the greater Los Angeles area was still recovering from two massive fires that claimed over two dozen lives and destroyed numerous structures.
'Please get out'
Robert Jensen from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department urged immediate evacuation for all residents in the affected area of the new fire, called the
Hughes Fire
. "We've seen the devastation caused by people failing to follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires," he said. "I don't want to see that here in our community as well. If you've been issued an evacuation order, please get out."
Police were observed driving through neighbourhoods instructing residents to evacuate.
Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed the evacuation of Pitchess Detention Centre in Castaic, with 500 inmates being transferred to a nearby facility. Approximately 4,600 inmates at other local jails were sheltering in place, with transport ready if needed.
Efforts under way
Melissa Camacho, an ACLU attorney, expressed concern about "the expansion of the jail system especially in dangerous fire zones," saying they were "gravely concerned for the safety of people incarcerated in those jails."
The fire affected I5 freeway traffic, causing the closure of a section of this major West Coast route. Aerial firefighting efforts included water and retardant drops from helicopters, planes, and two Super Scoopers.
Ground crews from Los Angeles County fire department and Angeles National Forest joined the firefighting effort.
Trump faces criticism
Governor Gavin Newsom
, previously criticised by President Donald Trump over Los Angeles fire management, announced state resource deployment to assist federal response to the Hughes Fire.
The fire's cause remained unknown, but it started during red flag conditions, characterised by strong winds and low humidity conducive to rapid fire spread.
Human-induced climate change, including unrestricted fossil fuel use, is altering global temperatures and weather patterns. Despite being in the rainy season, Southern California had experienced no significant rainfall for about eight months, leaving vegetation extremely dry.
