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Hughes Fire Erupts in Southern California, Prompting Evacuations
A new wildfire, known as the Hughes Fire, ignited in southern California on Wednesday, adding to the ongoing challenge of multiple wildfires affecting the region.
Significant portions of the essential Interstate 5 freeway have been closed as firefighting crews respond to the blaze.
The rapid spread of the fire has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from nearby communities.
On the same day, another wildfire emerged in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, compounding the difficulties as the area is still recovering from previous fires that scorched over 37,000 acres earlier this month.
The Hughes Fire started around 10:50 a.m. local time, near Castaic, which is situated about 40 miles north of Los Angeles city and north of the earlier Palisades Fire. Initially reported at approximately 50 acres, the fire expanded dramatically to 9,457 acres by evening, as per data from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, commonly known as Cal Fire.
As of Wednesday evening, the fire remained uncontained, with officials still investigating the cause.
Evacuation orders have been issued for local residents, with officials reporting that over 31,000 individuals were under mandatory evacuation, while an additional 23,000 were advised to prepare for potential evacuation.
The ongoing Hughes Fire has resulted in the temporary closure of key sections of the I-5 freeway, with several offramps in the vicinity also closed on Wednesday evening.
Although weather forecasts suggest the possibility of rain later in the week, strong winds are complicating firefighting efforts in the dry, brush-heavy terrain, with experts warning that these conditions could spread the fire into Ventura County. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, remarked in a live stream about the precarious situation: “This is not a good place to have a fire under northeast winds, because there is an almost contiguous, very dense fuel bed all in this region.”
Earlier this month, the region faced devastation from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which resulted in the loss of at least 27 lives and the destruction of thousands of structures.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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