Plumes of smoke rise as the Hughes Fire burns in Castaic, Calf., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
LOS ANGELES – A fast-moving brush fire raced across thousands of acres of thick vegetation near Castaic Lake Wednesday, forcing mandatory evacuations in the lake area and into the heart of Castaic, with warnings stretching toward Santa Clarita and reaching the Ventura County line.
The Hughes Fire was reported at about 11 a.m. Wednesday in a remote area east of the lake, according to Cal Fire.
Aided by gusting Santa Ana winds and thick, dry vegetation, the fire quickly gobbled up 500 acres of brush, but within two hours, it had reached 5,054 acres.
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A large plume of smoke caused by the Hughes Fire rises from Castaic Lake as seen from a neighborhood of Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The winds and dry terrain led to rampant spotting of the fire, allowing it to jump roadways and continue expanding.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for a wide area enveloping Castaic Lake, including the heart of Castaic. An even wider area fell under evacuation warnings as the fire quickly spread.
Multiple road closures were ordered in the area, including:
ADVERTISEMENT— Ridge Route Road at Lake Hughes; — Ridge Route Road at Templin Highway; — Lake Hughes at Pine Canyon; and — Dry Gulch at San Francisquito Canyon Road.
The Golden State (5) Freeway remained open, although the California Highway Patrol warned motorists to be cautious due to heavy smoke. Some freeway ramps were closed at Parker Road and Lake Hughes Road.
Memorandum Order No. 43 will be in force immediately.
More than a dozen water- and retardant-dropping aircraft were on the scene, including the county’s two leased Super Scooper fixed-wing planes.
ADVERTISEMENTFirefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest were attacking the blaze.
It was unclear what sparked the fire, which occurred during persistent red flag fire conditions. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
Northlake Hills Elementary School just west of Castaic Lake was evacuated, with students taken to the Castaic Sports Complex. All students from Castaic Middle and Elementary schools were taken to the Ralphs parking lot at Hasley Canyon, where parents were able to retrieve their children. Castaic High School was also evacuated.
A temporary evacuation center for people displaced by the fire was established at Valencia High School, 27801 Dickason Drive.
Meanwhile, A brush fire threatened homes, forced evacuations and left one person injured in Rancho Bernardo Wednesday before crews were able to quell the flames.
The blaze erupted shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Bernardo Center Drive and Camino Del Norte, west of Interstate 15, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Police cleared people out of surrounding neighborhoods and advised those in areas farther from the burn area to remain indoors until further notice. Among the evacuated sites was Rolling Hills Elementary School on Penasquitos Drive.
Evacuees were taken to a parking lot at 12080 Carmel Mountain Road in Carmel Mountain Ranch and to Poway High School.
As of 11 a.m., ground crews and personnel aboard water-dropping helicopters had halted the spread of the flames at roughly four acres, officials said.
One person suffered burns due to the blaze, according to the fire department. Details on the victim and extent of the injuries were not immediately available.
There were no reports of structural damage.
The fire prompted closures of the following roadways:
— Bernardo Center Drive at Camino Del Norte; — I-15 at Camino Del Norte; and — Paseo Montanoso at Avenida De Los Lobos and Camino Del Norte.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. (CNS)
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