LA County's Hughes wildfire goes from brush blaze to 9,000+-acre conflagration; evacs ordered
Editor's note: This file captures the news of the California wildfires from Wednesday, Jan. 22. For the latest updates on the fires, follow Paste BN's coverage for Thursday, Jan. 23.
A fast-moving blaze that began as a brush fire Wednesday spread across nearly 9,500 acres of bone-dry Los Angeles County, forcing evacuations of neighborhoods, schools and even jails as firefighters battle to contain the spread in a region already scorched for weeks.
The latest blaze, dubbed the Hughes Fire, runs through the Castaic area and has put the inferno-weary region back on high alert, according to CalFire. Rising winds threaten to spread the conflagration to suburban neighborhoods.
Residents nearby were ordered to evacuate or warned to be ready to leave quickly ahead of the fire. The blaze prompted several road closures, including parts of heavily traveled Interstate 5.
"You need to leave, you need to leave immediately," said LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, addressing the nearly tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders. "Don't argue. We got to get you out of there. Your life depends on it."
Luna said 31,000 people had been ordered to evacuate and he expected that number to grow. The LA County sheriff said people should be prepared to be away from their homes for up to a week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that state resources were deployed to help with the Hughes Fire response in Angeles National Forest.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire," Newsom said.
The entire Southern California region was on high alert as crews gained a foothold on several infernos but had to keep battling new blazes. Red flag warnings were in effect until Thursday night for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties because of low humidity and an expected uptick in Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts up to 50 mph were forecast with isolated gusts of 75 mph predicted for mountainous areas. Peak wind speeds are expected Thursday morning.
"If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth, which would threaten life and property," a red flag warning from the weather service said.
Fire crews in San Diego County battled several small brush fires that erupted Tuesday but were quickly extinguished. The largest of the blazes, the Lilac Fire, burned 85 acres and was 90% contained as of Wednesday morning. Crews also tamped down the nearby Friars and Pala fires as well as the Riverview and Clay fires in Riverside County.
Officials have warned that weather conditions may cause the fires to spread or spark new blazes. The Bernardo Fire in San Diego's Rancho Bernardo community near Camino Del Norte and the 15 Freeway sparked Wednesday and and could reach 100 acres, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said Wednesday. One person was already taken to a hospital with burn injuries and the flames were threatening structures, the department said. Surrounding areas were issued evacuation orders or warnings.
In Los Angeles County, firefighters increased containment of the Palisades and Eaton fires that destroyed more than 15,000 structures and killed at least 28 people.
As authorities lifted evacuation orders and some residents returned to their homes, officials prepared for much-needed rain this weekend. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to hasten cleanup efforts and mitigate the impacts of possible "toxic runoff."
Nearly 9,500 acres burned, 0% containment: Latest updates
LA County officials issued an update on the latest wildfire's fast-moving spread and it's impact on the local community. The newest blaze, the Hughes Fire, began Wednesday and is quickly threatening to be a repeat of the fires that torched storied neighborhoods earlier in the month.
The fire has burned nearly 9,500 acres and firefighters have not made any progress in containing it, said LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. No structures have been reported burned or destroyed, Marrone said.
Over 4,000 first responders using a fleet of aircraft including helicopters and military cargo planes have deployed to fight the flames, Marrone said.
"This remains a difficult fire to contain although we are getting the upper hand," said the fire chief.
Rising winds threaten to spread the blaze even further. Marrone said. Red flag warnings - meaning high winds that could potentially lead to devastating fire spread - will remain in effect through Friday 10 a.m. local time.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said evacuation orders had been issued to some 31,000 people. Another 23,000 were given evacuation warnings.
Luna said law enforcement was already taking steps to ensure no looters came to take advanatage of the deserted houses.
Concern over LA County jails
The new wildfire that ignited in LA County Wednesday sparked in the same area as several of the county's jails.
Several jails holding nearly 5,000 people sit around Castaic Lake in the fire evacuation zone, according to the ACLU of Southern California.
"We have long opposed the expansion of the jail system especially in dangerous fire zones and we are gravely concerned for the safety of people incarcerated in those jails," said ACLU senior staff attorney Melissa Camacho. "We urge our county supervisors to direct the L.A. Sheriff's Department to immediately organize the transportation needed to evacuate the jails without delay.”
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said around 500 inmates were being evacuated from one jail and taken to another facility.
Inmates at two jails made from concrete were not in harms way, said Luna, referring to the opinion of fire experts.
"They're telling us that if we shelter in place, our inmates will be safe," Luna said.
Castaic schools evacuate students as Hughes Fire explodes
Schools in Castaic, where the Hughes Fire was rapidly spreading on Wednesday afternoon, evacuated students to nearby locations where parents are asked to respond, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Castaic Elementary School and Castaic Middle School students were brought to a Ralph's grocery store parking lot. Northlake Hills Elementary School students were brought to the Castaic Regional Sports Complex.
Trump to visit wild-fire stricken California
President Donald Trump's first trip since the start of his second term is set for Friday and is set to include stops in wildfire-stricken California following a stop in storm-ravaged North Carolina.
"I'm going to North Carolina, very importantly, first," Trump told reporters on Tuesday evening from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, before confirming the rest of his itinerary about heading to the West Coast.
— Francesca Chambers
See a map of the latest wildfires
The latest Los Angeles County wildfire, dubbed the Hughes Fire, began as a brush fire Wednesday a little before 11 a.m. before spreading to over 8,000 acres by around 4 p.m. local time.
It's burning up through dry hills surrounding Castaic Lake north of the city. The wildfire is threatening to set ablaze suburban neighborhoods in a repeat of the deluge that consumed stories Los Angeles neighborhoods earlier in the month.
Here's a map of where the biggest blazes are happening around Southern California.
— Anthony Robledo
Report: West Altadena not evacuated for hours after fire started
All 17 confirmed deaths from the Eaton Fire occurred on the western side of the Altadena community, which did not get electronic evacuation warnings and only received orders to evacuate several hours after the blaze had ignited, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"By then, burning embers were raining down on neighborhoods on the west side of Altadena and igniting homes,'' the newspaper said.
The Eaton Fire, which has destroyed more than 9,000 structures, started around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 7 and was blown west by the strong winds. The Times reported that many neighborhoods east of North Lake Avenue received electronic evacuation warnings and orders that night, but those west of that road were not told to get out by electronic communication until 3:25 a.m.
The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management told the newspaper that wireless alerts are "only one of several means of notifying residents to evacuate their homes during a fire emergency.''
Power shutoffs in San Diego-area leave thousands in the dark
Tens of thousands of people in the San Diego area woke up in the dark Wednesday as power shutoffs continued amid high winds and relentlessly dry conditions.
San Diego Gas and Electric Company halted service to more than 15,000 homes and businesses in the foothills and mountains throughout San Diego County. Another 68,000 utility customers could potentially be affected by the shutoffs, depending on the intensity of the winds.
The electricity provider said shutoffs could last through Friday. In the meantime, it opened resource centers where residents experiencing blackouts can stock up on water, ice and snacks and also charge their phones.
Rain in weekend forecast for Southern California
Rain is expected to alleviate extreme fire conditions in Southern California this weekend, providing a desperately needed reprieve for thousands of firefighters, though officials warn the precipitation could also bring potential hazards to the region.
"Just about every location in coastal Southern California, as well as the Southern California mountains, should get in on some showers this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said in an online forecast.
Downtown Los Angeles has not seen measurable rainfall since Dec. 24, when only 0.02 of an inch fell, according to AccuWeather.
Ahead of the rain, Bass issued an executive order "to shore up burn areas and stem the flow of toxic debris," she said, adding, "This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff."
The order called for the installation of barriers, debris removal and the diversion of runoff from the city's storm water system to its sewer system, where the water can be treated.
Clay Fire in Riverside County is under control, officials say
Fire authorities in Riverside County stopped the forward progress of a blaze that erupted Tuesday on the bed of a river in Jurupa Valley.
The Clay Fire was first reported around 5 p.m. local time and quickly expanded to 39 acres, triggering evacuation warnings. Cal Fire said vegetation was burning by the Santa Ana River. The heavy and dense fuel led the flames to burn at a slow rate.
The warnings were lifted within a few hours as firefighters mopped up the remaining embers. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to Cal Fire. Containment was at 40% as of Wednesday morning.
Firefighters make progress on Palisades and Eaton fires
The Palisades Fire was at 23,448 acres with 68% containment Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire had burned 14,021 acres and was at 91% containment.
"Firefighters are making steady progress, and officials are reassessing evacuation orders to ensure safe returns," read an operations report on the Palisades Fire. "Crews are working with utility providers to repair infrastructure and address hazards like fallen trees and downed power lines. The public is reminded to stay vigilant on current fire conditions."
Cal Fire said firefighters were continuing to work on establishing "direct control lines" and extinguishing hot spots within the perimeter of the blaze.
At least 28 people have been killed in two fires, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in an update Tuesday. At least 17 people died in the Eaton Fire while another 11 died in the Palisades Fire.
(This story was updated to add new information.)