LOS ANGELES—A fast-moving brushfire that started north of Los Angeles on Wednesday and spread to thousands of acres in a matter of hours due to strong winds has gained additional territory on Thursday, according to officials.
By Thursday evening, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, reported that the Hughes Fire, which began near Castaic Lake, was 36% contained and had burned over 10,000 acres.
According to authorities, no buildings have been destroyed.
More than 31,000 people were ordered to evacuate on Wednesday due to the fire. By Thursday afternoon, they were lifted, but approximately 54,900 people were still under an evacuation notice, which means they should be ready to leave if directed to do so, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Cal incident battalion chief Brent Pascua stated Thursday that this incident was one of those difficult, swift-moving Santa Ana wind-driven fires.
Little more than two weeks after the terrible Palisades and Eaton fires began in the Los Angeles area, which destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 28 people, the fire broke out in the region while the area was under a warning for high winds and severe fire conditions.
According to fire officials, it was reported around 10:24 a.m. on Wednesday along Lake Hughes Road, which is near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County. According to Pascua, it had ample of fuel from dry, dead, and dying foliage.
The cause was being looked into.
A second fire also started in Sepulveda Pass on Wednesday, spreading to 40 acres close to UCLA and the heavily populated Sherman Oaks neighborhood. However, Cal Fire said that by Thursday, the fire was 60% contained.
The National Weather Service stated that although Thursday was the most concerning day, the region was still under red flag warnings until 10 a.m. on Friday. The agency cautioned that any fire can spread quickly and become unmanageable.
According to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, the hurricane-force gusts that fuelled the Palisades and Eaton fires on January 7 were stronger than the winds that drove the Hughes Fire’s spread on Wednesday. Firefighting aircraft were grounded due to the winds.
The conditions that increase the likelihood of flames like the ones that have raged over Los Angeles in recent weeks are linked to climate change, according to experts.
The city’s fire chief has referred to the Palisades and Eaton fires as one of the worst tragedies in Los Angeles history since they devastated entire communities.
After burning over 14,000 acres, the Eaton Fire, which destroyed homes in nearby towns and devastated the Altadena enclave, was 95% contained on Thursday, according to fire officials. Over 9,400 buildings, including residences, have been demolished.
Thousands of buildings along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway, in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades, were damaged or completely destroyed by the Palisades Fire. According to a Cal Fires update, it had burnt over 23,400 acres and was 72% contained by Thursday.
Officials have referred to the two fires as a firestorm since they happened during periods of severe Santa Ana winds that gusted over 80 mph, a strength typical of hurricanes.
Both fires’ causes were still being looked into.