Thousands ordered to flee their homes after new fire ignites in Los Angeles County

On By Littum

Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to flee an area north of Los Angeles on Wednesday after a fast-moving wildfire exploded and grew to more than 8,000 acres within hours, officials said.

Another 15,000 people were under evacuation warnings after the Hughes Fire broke out at 10:53 a.m. Wednesday near the Castaic community in northern Los Angeles County, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The fire had burned 8,096 acres by Wednesday afternoon, according to fire officials.

The fire ignited weeks after two nearby blazes left at least 27 people dead and engulfed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area earlier this month.


Image: Fast growing Hughes Fire north of Los Angeles Forces Evacuation
The Hughes Fire burns behind the skyline of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., Thursday.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had no containment, according to a statement from the Angeles National Forest.

A portion of Interstate 5 that stretches through a mountain pass north of Castaic Lake was closed Wednesday and will remain so for an unknown duration, according to the California Highway Patrol.

An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California called for the immediate evacuation of 4,700 prison inmates in four facilities around the lake that are under an evacuation alert.

A spokesman for the sheriff’s department, which runs the jails, said 476 people in one of the facilities were moved to another jail.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. The National Weather Service warned Tuesday of a return of critical fire conditions, with high winds and very dry conditions expected through Friday morning. It warned that gusts of up to 55 mph could be expected.

Experts have pointed to the link between climate change and the conditions that make fires like the ones that have roared through Los Angeles in recent weeks more likely.

Photos posted by NBC Los Angeles showed massive plumes of smoke billowing over the region and huge flames burning what appeared to be a ridge.

Video from the station showed residents who had refused evacuation orders flooding into their homes and sealing off exterior events to block embers.

In an interview with the station, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked people to follow the orders. She said she was concerned officials may have to ground firefighting planes if the winds pick up.

“I knock on wood, we contain this and it’s not affecting anyone’s home,” she said.

Barger described Castaic, a community of about 18,000 people, as home to many first responders and their families.

The nearby Eaton Fire, which ignited Jan. 7 and devastated the community of Altadena, had burned more than 14,000 acres and was 91 percent contained as of Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire.

The Palisades fire was sparked hours earlier in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The fire had burned more than 23,000 acres and was 68 percent contained, according to CalFire.

The cause of both fires remains under investigation, according to the agency.

Tim Stelloh

Madeline Morrison the contribution.