A rapidly spreading wildfire, dubbed the Hughes Fire, has consumed more than 5,000 acres near Castaic in northern Los Angeles County, prompting mandatory evacuations and school closures as firefighters work to contain the blaze. The fire, first reported late Wednesday morning, is being fueled by dry vegetation, steep terrain, and powerful Santa Ana winds.
Residents around Castaic Lake were ordered to evacuate as the fire spread at an alarming rate. The Los Angeles County Fire Department described the flames as burning through a football field-sized area every two to three seconds. Winds reaching 20 mph, with gusts of up to 40 mph, are pushing the fire southwest toward Interstate 5, creating additional challenges for fire crews.
Thick smoke from the fire has been reported as far away as Oxnard in Ventura County, 50 miles southwest of the blaze. Images from the scene showed massive plumes of smoke and flames racing through dry brush near Castaic Lake, just north of Santa Clarita.
"We're in fairly steep conditions, and it's incredibly dry," said Dana Dierkes, a spokesperson for Angeles National Forest, during an interview with KCAL. "There are homes in the general vicinity and in the immediate area."
The Angeles National Forest, where the fire originated, has been closed to the public until January 24, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Mandatory evacuation orders affect approximately 19,000 people in communities surrounding Castaic and Lake Piru, officials said. Thousands more are under evacuation warnings as the fire threatens to expand.
Among the areas evacuated are Northlake Elementary, Castaic Middle, Castaic Elementary, and Castaic High schools. A temporary evacuation center has been set up at Valencia High School at 27801 Dickson Drive in Valencia.
The fire's rapid growth also impacted transportation, with road closures announced for major routes including Ridge Route Road, Templin Highway, and several on- and off-ramps of the northbound 5 Freeway. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that the northbound 5 Freeway is closed through the Grapevine. "If you can, just avoid the area," said CHP spokesperson Alec Pereyda.
Governor Gavin Newsom said state resources have been deployed to assist in firefighting efforts and support federal agencies managing the response. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire," Newsom stated on social media.
Firefighting teams have requested at least ten aircraft to assist in aerial suppression efforts. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials report no containment as of Wednesday afternoon.
