New Wildfires Erupt In Southern California - Gusty Winds Continue

New wildfires erupt in Southern California as threat for gusty winds continues

Hayley Vawter

Angeli Gabriel

Firefighters are racing to contain more wildfires that started in Southern California Wednesday, as gusty Santa Ana winds continue to plague the state.

The most recent, dubbed the Hughes Fire, exploded to life late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County. The fire swelled to more than 5,000 acres in about two hours – sending a massive column of black smoke visible for miles. 

"Seeing significant amounts of smoke through Ventura County to the I-5 Corridor," NWS Los Angeles said in a post on X.

At 0% containment as of early Wednesday afternoon, several nearby areas are under evacuation orders and warnings. Multiple roads have been shut down, including some offramps have been shut down along Interstate 5.

Earlier in the morning, the Bernardo Fire started in San Diego, near the Rancho Bernardo area, according to the San Diego Fire Department. 

The fire swelled to 7 acres, forcing frantic evacuations for neighborhoods along Interstate 15 and Camino del Norte. One person suffered burns in the fire, according to SDFD, but the extent of their injuries was not given.

Over 175 firefighters were called to fight the blaze, which was declared under control early Wednesday afternoon and most evacuation orders were lifted.

The fire was originally called the Center Fire upon ignition but was later renamed by fire officials to Benardo Fire.

The Clay Fire broke out in Riverside County around 5 p.m. local time Tuesday and spread to 38 acres before the fire's progress was stopped by firefighters. The fire is 45% contained. Evacuation warnings were put in place for areas around the fire but have since been lifted. CAL FIRE reported that one-third of the acres burned were in the City of Riverside, California. 

A second fire, the Grimes Fire, popped up in Moorpark, in Ventura County, early Wednesday. Ventura County firefighters made quick work stopping the progress of the fire at 1 acre. Two buildings were threatened by the Grimes Fire, but no evacuations were given. 

WILDFIRES BREAK OUT IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY PROMPTING EVACUATIONS, DAMAGING BUILDINGS

The Lilac Fire continues to burn in San Diego County, but forward progress on the fire was stopped Tuesday. The fire burned 85 acres and is 90% contained, according to CAL FIRE.

The fire prompted local officials to issue evacuation orders for those south of Pala Mesa and west of Interstate 15. Evacuation orders have since been lifted. 

In Los Angeles County, the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires are still burning, but firefighters keep making progress toward containing the several-thousand-acre blazes. 

The Palisades Fire is 65% contained and has burned 23,448 acres as of Wednesday.  

Since Jan. 7, more than 14,000 structures have been destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County, leading to the event being labeled as one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. 

The death toll rose to 28 on Tuesday as the Los Angeles County coroner identified another victim from the fires. 

The Eaton Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and is 91% contained.

Fire Weather Warnings remain in place through Thursday for parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles. 

Wind gusts of up to 65 mph are expected in the mountains, while 30-50 mph gusts are likely everywhere else. Humidity stays low as well, further fueling the likelihood of rapid fire spread. 

Earlier in the week, the National Weather Service issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Fire Weather Warning for the two counties. 

California fires live updates: New LA County fire explodes to over 5,000 acres

Kevin Shalvey, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Meredith Deliso, Riley Hoffman, and Julia Reinstein

A new Los Angeles County wildfire broke out on Wednesday near Castaic Lake, prompting evacuations of thousands of people as strong winds caused it to spread rapidly, officials said.

The Hughes Fire ignited around 11 a.m. Pacific time and grew to more than 5,000 acres in less than three hours, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

About 19,000 people in surrounding communities, including the city of Castaic, are under mandatory evacuation orders and another 16,000 residents are under evacuation warnings, officials said.

At least 28 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across Southern California.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active.