More than 30,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate as the Hughes Fire erupted near Lake Castaic, just 40 miles from the areas impacted by the recent Eaton and Palisades wildfires.
The fire, which started Wednesday morning, has burned over 10,000 acres (41 square kilometers) within hours and is only 14% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Los Angeles County officials reported that evacuation orders have been issued for over 31,000 people due to “immediate threats to life.” Another 23,000 residents remain under evacuation warnings.
Aircraft have been deployed to drop water and fire retardants as firefighters work to contain the blaze and prevent it from crossing Interstate 5. A 30-mile stretch of the highway, a major route between Mexico and Canada, has been closed.
Smoke from the fire has worsened air quality, prompting Ventura College to close. The Los Angeles Zoo also shut its doors due to “Red Flag” weather conditions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that critical fire conditions, including low humidity and high winds, will persist in areas surrounding Los Angeles through Thursday evening.
The Hughes Fire adds to a month-long series of wildfires that have ravaged California. The Palisades Fire, which started as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades, has burned over 23,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and is currently 70% contained.
Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire, which ignited shortly after the Palisades blaze, has consumed over 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 10,000 structures. It is now 95% contained.
As California grapples with the ongoing crisis, President Donald Trump has reiterated his criticism of state water policies, falsely claiming that fish conservation efforts are causing water shortages for firefighting.
“I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down,” Trump said in a Fox News interview, accusing Governor Gavin Newsom of prioritizing the Delta smelt, an endangered fish species, over human needs. Newsom has refuted these claims.
Residents described harrowing scenes of the fire near Interstate 5. “It looked like you were driving into hell,” one witness told NBC4. “There was red fire coming up from below. It was pretty terrifying.”
With high winds expected to continue, officials fear that containment lines for the Eaton and Palisades fires could be breached, potentially spreading destruction further across southern California.
