Wildfires in California continue to give no respite to local people, who have been grappling with such a catastrophic situation for more than two weeks. Yesterday, a new brushfire, named Hughes, broke out north of Castaic, Los Angeles County, charring more than 10,000 acres of land and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
The blaze started on Lake Hughes Road shortly before 11 a.m. and quickly prompted evacuation orders near Castaic Lake. By afternoon, the flames had begun to spread toward Ventura County to the west and near Sandberg to the north. More than 31,000 residents were ordered to leave their homes.
As stated by the fire department, the conflagration was fueled by strong winds from Santa Ana. By 10 p.m., firefighting teams, thanks in part to the help of aerial assets, were at least able to contain the damage. However, the red alert will remain in effect in both L.A. and Ventura counties until 10 a.m. Friday, as winds could again fuel the flames.
Air quality, impacted by smoke clouds, is also a grave concern. An alert was issued Wednesday afternoon for Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Piru, Santa Paula and Simi Valley. The same warning affected Santa Monica, Malibu, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita and the Castaic Lake area.
As explained by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, the Hughes fire also prompted the evacuation of hundreds of pupils from West Creek Academy. Fortunately, despite the moments of terror, none of them were injured by the flames. The blaze also affected an area not too far from the Castaic prison complex, threatening more than 476 inmates and the prison staff itself.
However, it was not necessary to completely evacuate the prison: the inmates were simply moved to the neighboring North County Corrections Facility, which is part of the same complex. Late Wednesday afternoon, along Lake Hughes Road, flames also struck wooden poles that supported power lines, scattering high-voltage cables across the streets. Meanwhile, as the fire raged on, the pastor of the local Lake Hills Community Church, David Cummings, tried to coordinate his congregants on the phone, helping them find lodging for the night.
Firefighters tried to keep the flames at bay with the help of eight helicopters but the winds greatly complicated firefighting operations. Authorities stated that the cause of this latest fire was of unknown origin. So far, no injuries have been reported, nor have homes or other buildings been damaged.
According to weather forecasts, rain is expected over the weekend in Southern California, but experts say the intensity of the rain will not be enough to quench the fire. At the same time, there is a risk that water in contact with the newly burned ground could cause landslides.
Meanwhile, as some 4,000 firefighters attempt to contain and extinguish the Hughes fire as soon as possible, California authorities announced that the major fires affecting the Los Angeles area, the Eaton and Palisades, were 95 and 70 percent contained, respectively. To date, the fires in the past month have killed 28 people and destroyed more than 15,000 buildings.
