Firefighters battle huge blaze near Los Angeles as winds pick up

Firefighters are battling a fast-spreading fire in Southern California that has grown over the past day, with authorities warning that Thursday would be “the time of greatest concern.”

The Hughes fire, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Los Angeles, has grown to more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares), forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate a region already reeling from the worst fires. destroyers of its history.

Forecasters have warned that high winds are expected to pose an additional challenge for firefighters, who have so far contained 14% of the fire’s perimeter.

The fire is north of two massive ongoing fires that have killed at least 28 people and destroyed a number of neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

The National Weather Service has extended the red flag warning through Friday morning for most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as winds move through the region.

“Hazardous fire weather conditions will persist through Friday as fuels remain extremely dry and ready to burn, with Thursday being the time of greatest concern,” an advisory states. “Any fire that breaks out can grow quickly and get out of control. Have a plan, especially if you are in a high fire risk area.”

More than 31,000 people were evacuated Wednesday as the fire sent huge flames and plumes of smoke across hilly terrain in the Castaic Lake area that borders several residential areas and schools.

Local news showed residents near the Hughes Fire dousing their homes and gardens with water and others rushing to evacuate.

Winds in the area were around 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h), but could increase, fanning the fire and making it more difficult for air crews to work.

Climate change has made the grasses and shrubs that fuel Los Angeles’ fires more vulnerable to blazes, scientists said.

Rapid changes in dry and wet conditions in the region over the past few years have created a massive amount of dry vegetation, ready to catch fire.

Nearly 500 inmates at a local jail were being evacuated, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Officials said the fire was different from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed at least 28 people and decimated more than 10,000 homes and businesses earlier this month.

Although dry weather will persist over the next few days, some relief is expected for the fire-ravaged region.

Widespread rain is forecast for southwest California beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing through Monday evening. Typically, precipitation will total up to half an inch, although the San Gabriel Mountains will fare better with up to 1.5 inches (4 cm).

Thunderstorms may also trigger localized heavy rain in some areas over the weekend. A few inches of snow are also possible above 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

Precipitation expected from Saturday is raising new fears in the form of mudslides, flooding and landslides. Areas affected by recent fires are particularly at risk, because burned soils are less absorbent.

Were you evacuated because of the fires? Get in touch if it is safe to do so.

Two other fires broke out Wednesday further south, near San Diego and Oceanside. The Lilac Fire was declared fully contained after burning 85 acres. Like the separate Center fire, which covered four acres, it burned in populated areas. Evacuation orders have now mostly been lifted.

Dana Dierkes, spokeswoman for the Angeles National Forest, noted that winds and dry brush have made these recent fires much more difficult to fight.

“We don’t have a fire season in California. We have a fire year,” she said. “We’ve had wildfires before in January, but they’re exacerbated by the Santa Ana winds. Wind is a huge factor when we’ve had such a dry year.”

Samantha Granville contributed to this report.