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A new wildfire, the Hughes fire, has prompted evacuation orders for over 50,000 people in Los Angeles. Spanning 9,000 acres with zero containment, it follows recent wildfires near Lake Castaic, spreading widespread destruction.
The Hughes Fire burns near Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, California. (Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 23, 2025 08:32 IST
Two weeks after massive wildfires left behind a trail of destruction in Los Angeles, a new brush fire has led to evacuation orders for over 50,000 people in the US state.
The fresh blaze, named the Hughes fire, erupted on Wednesday morning and has trampled over 9,000 acres of land and is currently under zero per cent containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire).
Dark smoke was visible near Lake Castaic, a recreation area in northwestern Los Angeles. The site is about 40 kilometres from the Eaton and Palisades fires, which have been burning for three weeks.
Top Points
According to CAL Fire data, the Palisades fire has burned 23,448 acres and is 68 per cent contained. The Eaton fire has scorched 14,021 acres and is 91 per cent contained.
A shopping mall was cleared, and inmates at a detention centre were relocated. About 30 miles of Interstate 5, a key route connecting Los Angeles to Central California, was shut down, The New York Times reported.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed its aerial fleet to drop retardant as 30-mile-per-hour gusts fanned the flames. Firefighters from across the region were called in to assist, battling the dry, windy conditions that often fuel rapidly spreading wildfires.
Evacuation orders included Northlake Hills Elementary School, Castaic Elementary School, and Castaic Middle School. The California Highway Patrol said that students from the two Castaic schools were taken to a Ralph’s grocery store parking lot, while those from Northlake were evacuated to a sports complex, The New York Times reported.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday evening, CAL Fire director Joe Tyler said, "This (Hughes) fire had a robust response today, and as you can see behind us, the responders are doing great work to try to contain this fire." "Certainly, we are not out of the woods yet," Tyler added.
Published By:
Akhilesh Nagari
Published On:
Jan 23, 2025
