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Firefighters north of Los Angeles raced Thursday morning to contain a brush fire that broke out the day before, quickly burning more than 10,000 acres and forcing the temporary closure of part of Interstate 5.
Red flag warnings, indicating dangerous fire weather conditions, were in effect for much of Southern California on Thursday. The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles warned that gusts of up to 65 miles per hour could quickly spark new or existing fires.
High winds added to concerns over a smaller new brush fire that broke out last Wednesday in Los Angeles near Interstate 405 and the Getty Museum, burning 40 acres and prompting firefighters and pilots to race to the scene. . A temporary evacuation warning for the area was lifted Thursday, and fire officials said the Sepulveda fire has stopped spreading.
The larger fire, known as the Hughes fire, broke out Wednesday morning and prompted emergency orders and warnings for more than 50,000 people as it burned in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. 14 percent was recorded as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire, the fire department.
The fire is burning near Castaic Lake, a reservoir about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Many Californians know this area as the home of the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. North of the Palisades fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres since it started more than two weeks ago.
On Wednesday night, people in the Castaic area watched the Hughes Fire burn in the hills across the highway. A few helicopters collided in the sky as the air horn sounded and palm trees rustled in the low humidity of I-5 traffic below.
Flames were seen in the hills above the Pitchess Detention Center, a prison in a fire evacuation zone. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it is “prepared and ready” to keep inmates safe.
Most of the fire was contained last Wednesday, and there were no reports of any damage to the building. But after weeks of enduring some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, it’s the last thing residents want to deal with.
The Hughes fire is nearly the size of the 14,000-acre Eaton fire, which started on the same day as the Palisades fire and destroyed more than 9,000 homes. The Eaton fire was 95 percent contained as of Wednesday; the Palisades fire is 70 percent contained.
The weather service said warm and dry weather is expected Thursday, with another Santa Ana desert wind that picks up around 9 a.m. Pacific time. . Cooler weather is forecast for Friday and into the weekend, with heavy rain expected from Monday morning, which could ease the fire danger.
Nazaneen Ghaffar SY Claire Moses contributed to the report.
