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The Hughes fire has exploded to more than 10,000 acres, forcing tens of thousands of Californians to flee their properties in a region already reeling from blazes that have caused catastrophic damage and taken dozens of lives.
The new fast-moving wildfire grew rapidly near Castaic Lake, about 45 miles northwest of Los Angeles, after it broke out at around 10.53am local time on Wednesday.
More than 31,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and a further 21,000 under evacuation warnings. There were no reports of casualties, or damage to homes or businesses, as of Thursday morning.
Firefighters on the ground and in the sky are wrestling to extinguish the wind-fuelled flames – at its worst, spreading over 23 football fields every minute – which has now been 14 percent contained.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of state resources and said he will “provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire”. The new fire is burning just north of the two massive blazes – the Palisades and Eaton fires – that devastated multiple neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area earlier this month.
California tourism board makes appeal to visitors: ‘We’re counting on you’
California’s tourism board has made an appeal to tourists telling visitors “we’re counting on you,” following the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
As the Hughes fire formed, two weeks after the Palisades and Eaton fires devastated southern California, Visit California urged tourists to see the city’s iconic sites, including the Hollywood sign, which “remain intact and accessible to visitors”.
The board’s president and CEO, Caroline Beteta, said: “When the going gets tough, Californians rally together. Now we’re counting on you.”
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
James Liddell23 January 2025 13:37
Which parts of SoCal are under red flag warnings?
James Liddell23 January 2025 13:16
Winds expected to pick up Thursday morning before Friday cold snap
Warm, windy and dry conditions are set to continue through parts of Los Angeles Thursday, with peak gusts expected at 9 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures expected to decline from Friday as a cold storm system moves over the region, the agency said.
Smoke has been carried by the winds to much of southeastern Santa Clara County and southwestern LA county.
Showers, which are expected on and off from the weekend through Monday, may provide some temporary respite, while snow is expected in mountainous regions above 3000 to 4000 feet.
James Liddell23 January 2025 12:55
Trump threatens to withhold aid for wildfires
Just hours before the new Hughes fire broke out near the Castaic Lake late on Wednesday night, Donald Trump threatened to hold back further federal assistance to California, as it reels from a series of devastating brush fires.
Trump has been scathing in his critique of both state and federal response to Los Angeles wildfires, which have caused catastrophic damage and taken the lives of 28 people, in the weeks before returning to the White House on Monday.
Peddling a false claim that California Governor Gavin Newsom – among other officials – refused to allow water from the northern part of the state to flow down into LA, Trump made the thinly-veiled threat to Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday.
“I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down,” he told Sean Hannity during a Fox News interview that aired Wednesday night.
James Liddell23 January 2025 12:12
In pictures: Fireighters race to contain Hughes fire
James Liddell23 January 2025 11:52
Arnold Schwarzenegger pledges $1m towards LA wildfire relief
Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that he will donate $1m to help in relief efforts for those affected by the wildfires raging across Los Angeles.
The Hughes fire broke out just north of two massive blazes that destroyed multiple neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area earlier this month. Hundreds of families have been displaced by the fires that claimed 28 lives, including former child star Rory Sykes.
The Terminator star took to social media to reveal his $1m pledge would be going to three foundations, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, and the LA chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Shahana Yasmin has the story.
James Liddell23 January 2025 11:30
Mapped: Where is the Hughes fire burning and what areas are under evacuation orders?
James Liddell23 January 2025 10:50
Sepulveda fire: ‘Forward progress stopped’ at 40 acres
The Sepulveda fire has been held at 40 acres with all “forward progress stopped,” as firefighters work to mop up hotspots, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Evacuation warnings are beginning to be lifted, with no structures damaged or injuries reported, the LAFD said in its most recent update on the fire.
Firefighters are on scene conducting mop up operations to ensure no hot spots remain, risking further fire spread.
Traffic on the 405 Freeway will likely remain impacted, the LAFD said.
It follows the fire breaking out at Getty Center Drive exit at about 11 p.m. on Wednesday. It continued to churn through Bel Air on the eastern side of the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass.
James Liddell23 January 2025 10:27
