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A new fast-moving wildfire has broken out in Los Angeles County, prompting evacuations in a region already reeling from the most devastating wildfires in its history.
The Hughes Fire broke out north of the city Wednesday afternoon near Castaic Lake in a mountainous area bordered by several residential areas and schools.
The out-of-control fire spread to more than 5,000 hectares in just two hours due to strong winds. No homes or businesses were affected.
The new blaze is burning north of two giant fires — which are still burning — that destroyed several neighborhoods in Los Angeles County earlier this month.
Two other fires burned farther south near San Diego and Oceanside, officials said.
They are both smaller — 85 acres for the Lilac fire near Oceanside and 3.9 acres for the Bernard fire — but burned in populated areas. Fire crews appeared to have control of both blazes, with evacuation orders largely lifted and forward traffic halted.
In Los Angeles County, local news reports said people near the Hughes fire were dousing their homes and yards with water, while others were rushing to evacuate their neighborhoods.
The orange flame lined the mountains like the plane dropped water and fire retardant.
The region is again under red flag warning of high fire danger due to high winds and dry conditions with low humidity.
Winds in the area are 20 to 30 miles per hour, but are forecast to increase throughout the day, which could cause the fire to spread and make it more difficult for aircrews to continue the battle from above.
One woman who evacuated her home told NBC 4 she was stuck on Interstate 5, which cuts through the area and runs north and south through California.
“It looked like a cloud, but when you got closer it looked like we were going to hell,” she said of the dark smoke and red flames she saw. “To be honest, it was pretty terrifying.”
She admitted to being on edge after watching the Palisades and Eaton fires burn, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses.
“I don’t know why they keep showing up,” she said. “It’s definitely a scary time in this area.”
