With high winds driving the flames, a fast-moving wildfire exploded to more than 5,000 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday — prompting mandatory evacuations and road closures as it continued to spread.
The Hughes Fire broke out near Castaic Lake — off Lake Hughes Road just north of Castaic Reservoir Road — before quickly growing to 500 acres within an hour. By 12:30 p.m., less than two hours after it was first reported by fire officials, it had ripped through 3,407 acres with 0% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
At 1:03 p.m., it was estimated to be 5,054 acres still with 0% containment, Cal Fire said.
All lanes of the northbound I-5 Freeway are being shut down just north of SR-126, the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, announced just before 2 p.m. The detour for drivers is SR-126 with an alternate route of SR-14.
The unincorporated community of Castaic is located in northwest Los Angeles County, about 15 miles northwest of the city of Santa Clarita and just alongside the Angeles National Forest. The nearby Santa Clarita Valley is home to Six Flags Magic Mountain, where a huge plume of smoke from the Hughes Fire was visible in the nearby area.
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Mandatory evacuation orders were expanded as the wildfire spread to over 5,000 acres in just about two hours, sending people fleeing from the area as traffic built up along some roadways. Authorities were trying to keep people calm as the situation quickly unfolded, a series of more updates and new evacuations being announced just as they were earlier this month.
On Jan. 7, two major wildfires sparked on opposite sides of Los Angeles County, tearing through tens of thousands of acres as they killed at least 28 people and burned down entire communities, including homes, schools, churches and grocery stores throughout the especially hard-hit areas of Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
“We’re just asking people to- I know it’s hard to say but stay calm and just listen to first responders,” California Highway Patrol Officer Isabel Diaz said just before 1 p.m., as the Hughes Fire continued to grow. “It’s a very active and chaotic scene at the moment, and we’re just all trying our best to get everyone out safely.”
When the flames first broke out, that area of Los Angeles County — including the Santa Clarita Valley — was under a Red Flag Warning, with extremely low humidity and Santa Ana winds increasing the risks of wildfires starting and quickly growing.
“It does have a high potential for spread because we are looking at 32 mph winds as we speak,” LA County Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh said. “Those winds are supposed to pick up as the afternoon progresses into the evening.”
Authorities expanded mandatory evacuation orders as the wildfire continued to spread into the early afternoon.
“This time of year is especially dangerous,” said Fred Fielding, spokesman for the LA County Fire Department. “It’s been almost 300 days since we’ve had any significant rainfall.”
Currently, Angeles National Forest — where the Hughes Fire broke out — is closed to the general public for the protection of natural resources and public safety. The closure runs from Jan. 19 through Friday, Jan. 24.
Evacuation orders and warnings
A map showing where evacuation zones are located — and what areas are currently facing mandatory evacuation orders or warnings — can be found here. More information on the latest updates and resources for evacuees can be found here.
An temporary evacuation center has been set up at Valencia High School, which is located at 27801 Dickson Dr. Valencia, Calif. 91355. Meanwhile, a shelter for large animals being evacuated is at Lancaster Animal Care Center and Pierce College while shelters for small animals have been set up at the Palmdale, Agoura and Lancaster Animal Care Centers.
Los Angeles County residents can sign up for emergency alerts here. The city of Santa Clarita told residents to visit the city’s website here for the latest updates to ongoing evacuation orders and other information related to the Hughes Fire.
The following areas have been placed under mandatory evacuation orders as of 12:30 p.m. PST, according to local authorities.
- Castaic Lake
- Ridge Route
- Paradise Ranch Road
- North Lake Elementary
- Sloan Canyon Road
- Green Hill Drive
- Hill Crest Park Way
- Hasley Canyon
- Romero Canyon Road
- Canebridge Area
- Charlie Canyon Area
- Paradise Ranch
- E008 (information on where evacuation zones are located can be found here)
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Road closures
All lanes of the I-5 Freeway were being closed north of SR-126, with two off-ramps along the I-5 — at Parker Road and Lake Hughes Road — shut down earlier Wednesday. California Highway Patrol officials reported the I-5 was being affected by heavy smoke stemming from the Hughes Fire so motorists were told to use caution when driving.
Below is a list of closures current as of 12 p.m. PST on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
- Ridge Route Road at Lake Hughes
- Ridge Route Road at Templin Highway
- Lake Hughes at Pine Canyon
- Dry Gulch at San Francisquito Canyon Road
School evacuations and closures
Northlake Hills Elementary in Castaic was evacuated to the Aquatic Center and Castaic Sports Complex in Castaic, which are both located in the 31000 block of Castaic Road.
Meanwhile, all other schools within the Castaic Union School District were being evacuated Wednesday, with parents and guardians being notified and told to pick up their children from the campuses, according to school district officials.
Castaic Middle School and Castaic Elementary School were both evacuated to the parking lot of a Ralph’s grocery store, located at Hasley Canyon. “Parents need to respond there,” California Highway Patrol officials wrote in a post to X at 12:53 p.m. PST.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
