
wikipedia.org
New US wildfire Hughes has broken out in the mountainous area north of Los Angeles , affecting an estimated 21 square km (8.1 square miles) of timber and brush.
This development has resulted in thousands of evacuation orders for local residents and has released a substantial plume of dark smoke into the atmosphere. Firefighters announced on Wednesday that the Hughes Fire, which is located in the Castaic Lake area of Los Angeles County—approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Los Angeles—has led to evacuation orders for residents due to the “immediate threat to life” presented by the blaze .
Approximately 18,600 individuals live in the local community surrounding Castaic Lake, where intense flames have consumed trees and brush on the nearby hillsides.
Robert Jensen, representing the LA County Sheriff’s Department, strongly advised all residents in the fire-affected region to evacuate without delay, cautioning against the tragic outcomes experienced by some during the catastrophic fires in the Los Angeles areas of Eaton and Palisades, which resulted in 28 fatalities and left thousands displaced. “We have witnessed the destruction that occurred when individuals ignored evacuation orders during the Palisades and Eaton fires,” Jensen commented. “I do not wish to see a similar situation unfold in our community. If you have received an evacuation order, please leave immediately,” he urged.
United States television news reported that police were patrolling the Castaic region, urging residents to evacuate as ground crews and aerial water-dropping units worked diligently to contain the wind-driven fire, which threatened to advance southward towards more densely populated foothill communities.
The fire was intensified by powerful, dry Santa Ana winds that swept through the area, carrying a significant cloud of smoke and embers ahead of the advancing flames.
Firefighting teams from the LA County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest were also involved in fighting the fire on the ground. The cause of the fire remains unknown; however, it ignited under red flag fire conditions, characterized by strong winds and low humidity, which are conducive to rapid fire spread.
During his inaugural address on Monday, US President Donald Trump criticized the management of past wildfires in the Los Angeles area and afterward declared his plan to visit the city on Friday.
In the meantime, while a new fire is active in Castaic, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has indicated that the Eaton and Palisades fires, which have also impacted LA, are now under control.
Authorities have reported that the Eaton Fire, which has affected an area of 5,674 hectares (14,021 acres) to the east of Los Angeles, is currently 91 percent contained. In contrast, the larger Palisades Fire, which has ravaged 9,489 hectares (23,448 acres) on the western side of Los Angeles, is nearing 70 percent containment.
According to Cal Fire, the Eaton and Palisades fires, which ignited on January 7, have resulted in the loss of 28 lives and have caused damage to or destruction of nearly 16,000 structures. At the peak of the crisis, Los Angeles County officials reported that 180,000 individuals were subject to evacuation orders. Furthermore, private forecasting agency AccuWeather estimates that the economic impact and damages from the fires in the Los Angeles area could exceed $250 billion.