Final reports from Los Angeles County Fire Department or Cal Fire

Hughes Fire Near Los Angeles Grows to 9,400 Acres, 0% Contained; 31,000 Evacuated

Jan 23, 2025, 12:21 AM

A fast-moving wildfire dubbed the Hughes Fire erupted north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, rapidly expanding from 500 acres to over 9,400 acres within hours and prompting evacuation orders for more than 31,000 residents, officials said. The blaze began shortly before 11 a.m. near Lake Hughes Road and Castaic Reservoir Road, amid red flag warnings due to strong Santa Ana winds gusting up to 40 mph and dry conditions. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone reported that over 4,000 firefighting personnel were deployed to combat the fire, which remained at 0% containment as of 5 p.m. The fire threatened structures in the Castaic area, though no buildings had been damaged or destroyed, according to authorities. An additional 23,000 residents were under evacuation warnings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for communities near Castaic Lake, affecting tens of thousands of residents. The Interstate 5 freeway, a major north-south route, was temporarily closed in both directions through the Grapevine due to heavy smoke and proximity of the flames but was reopened later in the evening. Air Attack requested two Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) to assist ground crews battling the blaze. Strong winds hampered firefighting efforts and contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. The Hughes Fire adds to the strain on Southern California, which has been experiencing extreme fire conditions and dealing with other major wildfires in recent weeks.