A rapidly spreading wildfire, known as the Hughes Fire, erupted near Castaic, California, on Wednesday, scorching approximately 10,200 acres and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents.
The fire ignited around 10:45 a.m. near Castaic Lake, quickly expanding to 500 acres within the first hour, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). By 12:30 p.m., the blaze had consumed over 3,400 acres.
As of late Wednesday, containment efforts had only reached 14%, with the fire growing to 10,176 acres. Fortunately, firefighters reported no structures had been damaged, although conditions remained critical due to high winds and dry vegetation.
Angeles National Forest Chief Robert Garcia emphasized the ongoing risks, stating, “The first responders are doing great work to contain this fire. Certainly, we are not out of the woods yet.”
Approximately 4,000 personnel were deployed to combat the flames, with Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone overseeing the efforts.
The unincorporated community of Castaic, located about 15 miles northwest of Santa Clarita and adjacent to the Angeles National Forest, was significantly affected.
A large plume of smoke from the fire was visible near the popular Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park.
While the fire started in Los Angeles County, it began encroaching on communities in neighboring Ventura County, leading to additional evacuation orders and warnings issued later in the day.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that around 31,000 residents were under mandatory evacuation orders, with another 23,000 facing warnings. In a precautionary measure, approximately 4,500 inmates from the Pitchess Detention Center were also evacuated.
Authorities temporarily closed the I-5 Freeway to facilitate emergency response efforts, with plans to reopen it later in the evening.
“We needed to have better ingress and regress for emergency vehicles coming through the 5 Freeway corridor,” Luna explained. All lanes were successfully reopened by 6:30 p.m.
As the fire rapidly expanded, evacuation orders were broadened, causing heavy traffic as residents fled the area. Officials urged the public to remain calm amid the chaos, as new updates and evacuation announcements were made throughout the day.
California Highway Patrol Officer Isabel Diaz advised, “It’s a very active and chaotic scene at the moment, and we’re just all trying our best to get everyone out safely.”
The area was under a red flag warning at the time of the fire’s outbreak, with low humidity and Santa Ana winds exacerbating the wildfire risk.
LA County Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh noted that wind speeds were reaching 32 mph and were expected to increase throughout the day.
In response to the emergency, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that state resources were being dispatched to Southern California to assist in firefighting efforts, with federal personnel from the Angeles National Forest also involved.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire,” Newsom stated in a post on social media.
Experts have warned that the dry winter in Southern California has left vegetation particularly susceptible to fire, making this time of year especially dangerous.
Fred Fielding, a spokesman for the LA County Fire Department, highlighted the severity of the situation, noting, “It’s been almost 300 days since we’ve had any significant rainfall.”
To protect public safety and natural resources, Angeles National Forest has been closed to the public until further notice. This closure follows a summer when the Post Fire burned over 15,000 acres in the region.
In response to the evacuations, temporary evacuation centers have been established at Valencia High School and Hart High School, with additional shelters for large and small animals set up at various locations, including the Lancaster Animal Care Center and Pierce College.
As the Hughes Fire continues to pose a threat, officials remain vigilant, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and stay informed about the evolving situation.
