Hughes Fire North of Santa Clarita Burns 9,400 Acres, Forces Thousands to Evacuate
UPDATED 5:30 p.m.:
With the Palisades and Eaton fires still not fully contained, a new Southern California blaze sparked up Wednesday north of Santa Clarita, burning more than 9,400 acres in a matter of hours, forcing evacuations by the thousands and shutting down sections of the 5 freeway.
The Hughes fire forced 31,000 people to flee their homes just two weeks after the devastation that have ravaged parts of greater Los Angeles. Persistent extreme conditions gave life to the new fire, which started just before 11 a.m. and raced through the areas around Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area.
Miraculously, the large-scale blaze had not yet damaged any structures, fire officials said Wednesday evening. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said more than 4,000 firefighters were responding to the fire, which was 0% contained as of 5 p.m.
But the fast-moving fire was bearing down on homes, schools businesses, and the county’s Castaic jail complex, forcing deputies to scramble for resources to move inmates to another facility a short distance away.
Initial reports put the fire at only 50 acres, but it exploded to more than 5,000 in the first two hours, fanned by the same Santa Ana winds that have plagued the area all month. The Grapevine section of Interestate 5 was closed in both directions, only complicating evacuation efforts.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department reported that an additional 23,000 people near the Huges fire were issued evacuation warnings. The National Weather Service warned that the “critical risk of fire weather” would remain for the region through Thursday.
Some relief was on the way, as rain was expected to arrive this weekend, but Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart reiterated that there is a Red Flag Alert currently in effect. After being designated as such early Monday morning, a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone has been established due to “a forecast for high winds and dry conditions creating high fire danger” citywide.
Elsewhere, the Palisades fire has burned 23,448 acres at 68% containment while the Eaton fire is at 14,021 acres at 91% containment. In total, the various 2025 wildfires have reached 40,462 acres, killing at least 28 people and destroying 15,798 structures since they began on Jan. 7.
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