California wildfires: A look at containment progress across Southern California
Critical fire weather conditions continued for areas of Southern California on Wednesday, continuing weeks of wildfires that have wreaked havoc.
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.
On Wednesday a new, fast-growing brush fire forced evacuation orders in the Castaic community in Los Angeles County. Called the Hughes Fire, it has grown to more than 5,000 acres.
While respite might come in the form of rain over the weekend, there are concerns of “toxic runoff” from the toxic ash and debris left behind by the devastating wildfires.
As firefighters have been able to gain a foothold on many of the burning wildfires across Southern California, not all have been fully contained. Here's the current containment situation of the wildfires.
Palisades Fire
- Start date: Jan. 7, 2025
- Size in acres: 23,448
- Containment: 68%
- What to know: According to Cal Fire, almost 400 engines have been assigned to the Palisades Fire, with more than 4,000 firefighters assigned to fight the blaze that has left thousands homeless in the Pacific Palisades region.
Eaton Fire
- Start date: Jan. 7, 2025
- Size in acres: 14,021
- Containment: 91%
- What to know: As the Eaton Fire is mostly contained, Cal Fire has said residents have begun to return to their households with evacuation orders being lifted in phases to ensure safety. More than 2,000 firefighters have been deployed to the fire.
Lilac Fire
- Start date: Jan. 21, 2025
- Size in acres: 85
- Containment: 90%
- What to know: Starting Tuesday, the Lilac Fire caused concerns for officials in San Diego following the devastating fires in Los Angeles county earlier this month. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire has been mostly contained.
Clay Fire
- Start date: Jan. 21, 2025
- Size in acres: 38
- Containment: 45%
- What to know: The Clay Fire, which started earlier this week, is currently about 50% contained. According to Cal Fire, almost 200 firefighters have been deployed to fight the blaze.
Hughes Fire
- Start date: Jan. 22, 2025
- Size in acres: 5,054
- Containment: 0%
- What to know: According to Cal Fire, the Hughes Fire has quickly spread since first beginning on Wednesday morning. The fire has grown from 500 acres to more than 5,000 in only hours.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.