New wildfire erupts North of Los Angeles, tens of thousands forced to evacuate
A vehicle drives past a hillside engulfed in flames caused by the Hughes Fire on Wednesday. Ethan Swope/AP
A new wildfire, the Hughes Fire, erupted near Castaic Lake on Wednesday. Within hours, it rapidly spread across over 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) and prompted the evacuation of 31,000 residents.
Located approximately 35 miles north of Los Angeles, the fire was driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, which pushed embers and thick smoke ahead of the flames.
Robert Jensen from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged immediate compliance with evacuation orders, warning against delays that had proven catastrophic in previous fires such as the Palisades and Eaton blazes.
The Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic was evacuated, with 500 inmates relocated to nearby facilities. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that 4,600 additional inmates in the area were sheltering in place but could be evacuated if conditions worsened.
Advocacy groups like the ACLU expressed concerns over the risks posed to incarcerated men and women in the fire-prone zones.
The fire disrupted traffic along the I5 freeway, a critical route on the West Coast, with sections shut down. Helicopters, planes, and Super Scoopers joined ground crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest to battle the flames.
Governor Gavin Newsom reported deploying state resources to support federal efforts, emphasizing ongoing monitoring of the fire.
Despite being in the rainy season, Southern California’s extended dry spell has left the region dangerously susceptible to wildfires, exacerbated by climate change and red flag conditions.
