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The rapid growth of the Hughes fire in the Castaic area, which reached 9,457 acres, forced authorities to issue evacuation orders in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and to close all lanes of the 5 Freeway.
According to the authorities, About 19,000 people from Los Angeles County, including residents of Castaic, were being evacuated from communities south, north and west of the fire, while another 16,000 were in areas under evacuation warning.
Firefighters on the ground and in the air battled in their attempts to contain the Hughes Fire, which began shortly before 10:45 a.m. this Wednesday through the Angeles National Forest.
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The fire, which initially spanned 50 acres, grew rapidly fueled by Santa Ana winds until reaching approximately 5:14 pm an area of 9,457 acres, with 0% containment, according to Cal Fire data.
Until this Wednesday afternoon, The cause of the Hughes Fire in a predominantly rural and mountainous area was unknown.more than 16 miles away from the nearest residence.
Rapid fire advance
Despite the efforts of the firefighters, The flames spread and crossed Lake Hughes Roadwhile the lake was acting as a firebreak, preventing part of the fire line from advancing towards the 5 Freeway.
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In the fight against the fire, the work of several helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft was seen, including four Super Scoopers, who threw water and the pink retardant Phos-Chek on the fire lines.
Around 12:30 pm, The Hughes Fire burned more than 30 acres per minutewhich is equivalent to the length of 23 football fields.
Huge columns of smoke, rising over the area burned by the flames, They were clearly visible from several miles away.
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Evacuation orders in Ventura
At approximately 2:00 pm, an area of Ventura County, near Lake Piruwest of Castaic, was added to the areas under mandatory evacuation orders.
In the evacuated area there were several schools, including Northlake Elementary, Castaic Middle, Castaic Elementary and Castaic High. The Castaic Unified School District said all students had been picked up by mid-afternoon.
“We will most likely cancel classes tomorrow (Thursday). At this time, we are concerned about families staying safe,” said Castaic School District Superintendent Bob Brauniesen.
It was installed a temporary evacuation center at Hart High School, at 24825 Newhall Avenue, in Santa Clarita.
Keep reading: Alert extended for strong winds in Southern California
Road closures
All lanes of the 5 Freeway were closed between Highway 126 and Grapevine Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The authorities They closed other roads in the area:
- Ridge Route Road and Lake Hughes
- Ridge Route Road and Templin Highway
- Lake Hughes and Pine Canyon
- Dry Gulch and San Francisquito Canyon Road
- Interstate 5 NB off-ramp to Parker Road and the Interstate 5 off-ramp to Lake Hughes Road.
- Interstate 5 Grapevine
“If you can, just avoid the area“said California Highway Patrol spokesman Alec Pereyda.
On social networksCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom said that state resources had been deployed to fight the Hughes Fire in the Angeles National Forest.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and we will provide the federal government with everything it needs to extinguish this fire,” said the governor.
Keep reading: Newsom signs order to speed up fire debris removal
Although the fire occurred outside the boundaries of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) reported that Four intervention teams, made up of 20 trucks, were sent to help attack the fire.
The LAFD mentioned that they were also sent to the scene two excavator teams and additional command personnel.
He Ventura County Fire Department He said strike teams and other resources had been strategically deployed along Highway 126 to ensure a rapid response to any impact of the fire in the county.
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· Risk in burned areas of Los Angeles due to upcoming rains
· Fire victims in Los Angeles return home to find a desolate panorama
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