New California Fire Spreads to 5,000 Hectares in Just Two Hours, Evacuations Ordered
A NEW FIRE broke out north of Los Angeles today, exploding in size and prompting thousands of evacuation orders in a region already reeling from the effects of massive wildfires.
Fierce flames engulfed the mountains near Lake Castaic, quickly spreading to cover 5,000 hectares in just over two hours.
The fire was ignited by strong, dry Santa Ana winds, which blew through the area, pushing a large cloud of smoke and embers ahead of the flames.
Evacuations were ordered for 19,000 people around the lake, which is about 35 miles north of Los Angeles and near the city of Santa Clarita.
A large plume of smoke from the Hughes Fire rises from Lake Castaic as seen from a neighborhood in Santa Clarita,
"I'm just praying our house doesn't burn down," one man told KTLA television as he loaded his car. The fire came as the Los Angeles area is still reeling from two massive wildfires that have killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of structures.
Robert Jensen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department urged anyone in the area affected by the new blaze to evacuate immediately.
"We've seen the devastation caused by people not following those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires," he said.
"I don't want to see that in our community again. If you've received an evacuation order, please stay out."
A rescue boat makes its way through the waters of Lake Castaic toward plumes of smoke from the Hughes Fire raging in the mountains near the lake in Castaic, California.
Television footage showed police driving through the area urging people to get out. Helicopters and planes were on the scene dropping water and retardant on the fire, footage shows.
That fleet included two Super Scoopers, large amphibious aircraft that can carry hundreds of gallons of water.
Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles National Forest also attacked the fire from the ground.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, but it occurred during red flag fire conditions — when forecasters say strong winds and low humidity create favorable conditions for the fire to spread quickly.
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