On Wednesday, January 22, the Hughes fire exploded from a brush fire in the area north of Castaic, prompting evacuation orders and an extended red flag warning.
As of Thursday morning, the fire has burned over 10,000 acres and was 14% contained. No casualties have been reported.
A smaller fire ignited on Wednesday evening in Bel-Air on the eastern side of the 405 Freeway, a mile north of the Getty Center. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire stopped spreading before 2 am and burned 40 acres.
The National Weather Service extended its red flag fire warning through Friday at 10 am for much of Los Angeles and nearby counties. The Santa Ana winds continue to bring dry, hot winds to the area, with wind gusts reaching up to 60 mph in parts of the county.
Rain is in the forecast for this weekend, which will help mitigate some of the fires currently burning, though it won’t end the fire season. Heavy rainfall also risks mudslides in the areas of the fires, risking more damage and debris flow.
The Eaton and Palisades fires are still burning, though firefighters have made significant progress in containing both fires and some evacuation orders in nearby areas were lifted. Over two dozen people perished in the fires and over 17,000 structures were destroyed or damaged.
Residents impacted by the fires can now visit the state’s revamped fire relief website to apply for disaster assistance, replace lost documents, and stay informed on the latest developments at ca.gov/lafires.
