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Evacuations were ordered Wednesday for remote communities near a new fast-moving wildfire in the mountains north of Los Angeles, as Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.
The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and quickly destroyed about nine square kilometers of trees and brush, raising a huge cloud of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, about 40 miles north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, which are burning for a third week.
Turnpikes along Interstate 5, the main north-south artery, were closed as flames raced up hilltops and down rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames.
Meanwhile to the south, LA officials braced for possible rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the burned areas of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The stormy weather is expected to last through Thursday.
“We’re going to see another round of critical fires across Southern California,” Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Wednesday morning. – At this point it sounds like a broken record.
LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to speed up cleanup efforts in burned areas and mitigate the environmental impact of wildfire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to clear vegetation, harden slopes and strengthen roads before possible rain.
LA County Supervisors also approved an emergency request to install flood control infrastructure and expedite sediment removal in fire-affected areas.
“As the fires have subsided, there are new challenges ahead,” Superintendent Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Wednesday. “Rains are in the forecast, and the threat of mud and drift in our fire-affected communities is real.”
Southern California has a 60 to 80 percent chance of light rain starting Saturday, with most areas unlikely to see more than about 0.8 inches, according to Ryan Kittell, LA Weather Service meteorologist. However, up to about 2.5 centimeters could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be the worst-case scenario if enough falls on parched slopes.
“But even if it doesn’t rain this time, it could be good practice for those communities because it’s going to be a threat they’re going to have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said Tuesday.
Fire crews filled community sandbags while county workers erected barriers and cleaned drain pipes and pools.
In 2018, Montecito, a town about 130 kilometers up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by landslides after a downpour hit mountainsides stripped bare by a massive wildfire. 23 people died and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Red flag warnings for critical fire risk have been extended until 8pm Thursday in LA and Ventura counties. Officials remain concerned that the two large fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could breach their containment lines as firefighters continue to monitor hotspots, said David Acuna, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Strategically positioned fire trucks and water-dropping aircraft allowed crews to quickly extinguish several small fires that broke out in LA, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency equipment, watch for fires and report them quickly.
Many Los Angeles residents are now waiting to return to what is left of their homes. But even for those whose homes were spared, health concerns about smoke and ash will remain.
Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana winds. LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials.
“Even a short exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning.
Low humidity, dry vegetation and high winds emerged as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out on Jan. 7. 68 percent, and the Eaton Fire was at 91 percent.
More than a week since the fires in Los Angeles, frustration has grown for the tens of thousands of people ordered to evacuate. Officials tell them it could be at least another week before they are allowed to check their homes.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department is still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All the reported missing adults are adults, he said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the cause of the fire, but has not released any findings.
People who lost their homes in the Eaton fire have filed several lawsuits, alleging Edison equipment in Southern California caused the fire. On Tuesday, a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility company to produce data from electrical circuits in the area where the fire broke out.
US President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address on Monday, said he would travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Barger said Wednesday that the details of Trump’s visit were still being worked out.
