Official announcements from California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Hughes Fire Forces Evacuations Near Castaic Lake, Threatens Interstate 5 After Exploding to 1,000 Acres

Jan 22, 2025, 07:22 PM

A rapidly spreading wildfire, known as the Hughes Fire, has erupted near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County, California. The blaze began shortly before 10:45 a.m. near Lake Hughes Road and the 5 Freeway and has quickly grown to over 1,000 acres within minutes, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. The fire is burning on both sides of Lake Hughes Road and has crossed to the west side of Castaic Lake, near Ridge Route Road, threatening to impact Interstate 5. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas surrounding Castaic Lake, including zones CAS-CASTAICLAKE, CAS-RIDGE, and CAS-GREENHILL. Evacuations are being carried out by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along Ridge Route Road. Firefighters from the Angeles National Forest and the Los Angeles County Fire Department are responding under a unified command, with heavy air support requested. The Incident Command has announced that the entire Interstate 5 may be shut down in the area due to the fire's rapid advancement. The command post has been relocated to the Castaic Lake Sports Complex, and staging for all units is now at Magic Mountain theme park.