Hughes fire forces evacuations in Los Angeles county
A new fast-growing wildfire broke out in Los Angeles County on Wednesday, January 22, leading to evacuations of tens of thousands of residents. The fire ignited near Castaic Lake, 72 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, in a mountainous area close to homes and schools, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The blaze quickly spread to over 10,000 acres within hours, driven by strong winds of 32–48 kilometers per hour and dry brush. No homes or businesses have been damaged so far, and officials remain optimistic about controlling the fire.
#ÚLTIMAHORA#EEUU
— 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙮 (@Mario_Moray) January 23, 2025
NUEVOS INCENDIOS EN LOS ANGELES
El incendio de #Hughes, #California ya alcanza a de 4 mil hectáreas.
NUEVOS INCENDIOS EN LOS ANGELES #Breaking#Ventura #CastaicFire#HughesFires#LosAngelesFire pic.twitter.com/WhWUObsKll
Cal Fire reported on Thursday morning that the fire is 14% contained.
"Firefighters from Angeles National Forest, as well as surged CAL FIRE and local, state, federal, and tribal partners, are responding to a brush fire located off Lake Hughes Rd North of Castaic Reservoir Rd, Castaic. Hughes Fire Is in unified command with U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and CAL FIRE with assistance from LA County Sheriff and California Highway Patrol, Southern Division," the agency’s latest report summary said.
Crazy view of the #hughesfires this afternoon. Birds-Eye view of a Phos-Chek dump pic.twitter.com/25kWsYk9dZ
— Dal (@dalwolf) January 23, 2025
Approximately 31,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, with another 23,000 warned they may need to leave. The region remains under a red flag warning due to high fire risk caused by strong winds and low humidity. Rising winds could worsen conditions, making it harder for aircrews to operate.
Here we go again #hughesfires pic.twitter.com/47qCr45Y0Z
— Evan Kirstel #B2B #TechFluencer (@EvanKirstel) January 23, 2025
The Hughes Fire is north of two earlier wildfires this month that destroyed several neighborhoods, leaving the region on high alert. The ongoing Palisades Fire has grown to 23,448 acres with 65% containment as of 7:00 p.m. on January 21 (9:00 a.m. on January 22, Astana time), according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). The blaze has caused significant destruction, with 6,528 structures destroyed and 882 more damaged.
The situation in the city is “high fire danger”, according to the LAFD, due to “high winds and dry conditions”. The city has declared a citywide Red Flag alert.
