A new fire in Los Angeles forces the evacuation of thousands of people
The Hughes Fire devoured more than 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours. As they face this new threat, firefighters continue to tackle the Eaton and Palisades fires.
A fire truck drives past the Hughes Fire.
Los Angeles continues to be without respite. After two weeks of intense blazes, with thousands of acres and structures devoured, a new wildfire threatened the county Wednesday.
The blaze broke out about 60 miles from L.A., and in just over eight hours spread some 3,800 acres. Its cause is under investigation.
Dubbed the "Hughes Fire," it forced thousands of evacuations in the last few hours. It also led to road closures and the opening of an evacuation shelter in the College of the Canyons gymnasium. The public school suspended all its on-campus classes and announced the postponement of its basketball teams' games.
By early Wednesday morning it had covered more than 10,176 acres and was 14% contained. Its rapid growth was due to strong, dry Santa Ana winds, which picked up steam again this week. The strong winds are in addition to low humidity and lack of precipitation.
What are Santa Ana winds and why are they key to these fires?
That is what has happened this time, both with the first fire, the Palisades, and this latest one. The force of the wind blew the flames and fanned hot embers into the dry but still intact vegetation.
Santa Ana winds generally blow between September and May, for series of several days. When a high pressure system forms over the deserts of eastern California, it pushes air toward the Pacific coast. As the air descends through the Santa Ana and Sierra Nevada Mountains it blows down the valleys, compresses, warms and becomes drier.
Part of the fires
The National Weather Service extended a red alert through Friday morning in the Los Angeles region and neighboring Ventura County, with dryness and winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour continuing to blow through Thursday, according to AFP.
"The situation remains dynamic, and the fire remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand," Anthony Marrone, chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, told a news conference.
Authorities issued evacuation orders impacting some 31,000 people. As many others are under warning. So far, some 28 deaths have been recorded in the various fires that have been raging in the area since the beginning of the month.
Fires in California early Thursday morning.
Rescue services made progress in containing the two most devastating fires. The Palisades Fire, which incinerated more than 23,448 acres, is 70 percent contained, officials said. While the Eaton Fire is 95% contained after spreading more than 14,000 acres.
Since the weekend some residents in the areas affected by the latter could return to their homes and businesses, or what's left of them. Some of the homes engulfed by the flames belonged to Hollywood stars such as celebrity Paris Hilton and Mandy Moore, the actress who stars in 'This is Us.'
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