A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday quickly spread to more than 9,400 acres, fuelled by strong winds and dry brush, forcing the mandatory evacuation of more than 31,000 people.
Los Angeles is on fire again
The Hughes Fire, which originated about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, has put an extra burden on firefighters who have managed to bring two major blazes in the metropolitan area under control.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, some 31,000 people have been ordered to mandatory evacuations. About 1,100 firefighters were deployed throughout Southern California, with more than four thousand rescuers working in Hughes, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
The fire started on the morning of January 23 near Castaic Lake. The blaze broke out just north of where firefighters are trying to fully contain a fire raging in Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon.
Wildfires in California
The fire engulfed Los Angeles in the the afternoon of January 7 local time. It initially broke out in Pacific Palisades, but the relentless fire continued to spread to other areas. According to the latest data, wildfires in California have claimed the lives of 28 people. The flames covered more than 40 acres, or more than 161.9 square kilometres.
Evacuation of people from dangerous areas continues. In the first day 30 thousand people left their homes in Palisades, the next day more than 130 thousand residents of this area and Eaton Canyon received orders to leave. And evacuation is carried out with complications, because traffic jams are formed. Then people abandon cars and leave the city on foot. However, not everyone decides to leave their homes.
The head of fire safety said that the resources were designed to fight only one or two large fires. The situation is exacerbated by strong winds. These fires have already been called one of the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County.
