LA fires live updates: Thousands evacuated as Hughes fire breaks out amid strong winds near Castaic
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A new fire in southern California has exploded from 500 acres to more than 9,000 in just a few hours, prompting new evacuation orders for an area already reeling from blazes that have destroyed thousands of homes.
The Hughes Fire grew rapidly near Castaic Lake, about 45 miles northwest of the city of Los Angeles, after it broke out at around 10.53am PST on Wednesday.
No homes or businesses have been damaged, but about 31,000 residents have been forced to flee, officials said, with thousands more under evacuation warnings.
Crews on the ground and in the sky attacked the flames, which were spreading over 23 football fields every minute, according to ABC 7. It is 0 per cent contained.
“That one’s gonna go nuclear. It’s big,” wildfire expert Jacob Weigler told The New York Post.
The new fire is burning just north of the two massive blazes that destroyed multiple neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area earlier this month.
Mapped: The scale of Hughes Fire and affected communities near Santa Clarita
Stuti Mishra23 January 2025 03:50
Hughes fire: Over 50,000 under evacuation orders
More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.
The blaze, which started just days after wildfires scorched large parts of LA, has shut down schools and key highways. Parts of Interstate 5 that had been closed were reopened later in the evening.
More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County sheriff Robert Luna said.
Stuti Mishra23 January 2025 03:47
Hughes fire spreads to 9,400 acres
The Hughes fire ignited about 45 miles northwest of the city of Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, near Castaic Lake, prompting tens of thousands to evacuate.
- The fire has rapidly expanded to approximately 9,400 acres with 0 per cent containment.
- The blaze has prompted mandatory evacuation orders for about 31,000 residents, with an additional 23,000 under evacuation warnings.
- No fatalities or structural damages have been reported so far.
Stuti Mishra23 January 2025 03:26
