North of Los Angeles, a huge new fire is rapidly spreading, threatening Interstate 5, one of California’s main transportation arteries.
The Hughes fire began shortly before 11 a.m. local time and quickly spread to more than 5,000 acres, spurring evacuation orders around Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County.
All lanes on the I-5 highway are now closed in the evacuation zone north of SR-126, and the critical connection between Northern and Southern California is affected by heavy smoke.
Cal Fire said there was an “imminent threat to life,” with many already speculating that the latest fire was not spontaneous, but was the result of arson. The reservoir is located about 45 miles from Palisades in the Pacific Ocean, where a devastating fire killed 11 people, destroyed more than 6,380 structures and damaged another 867 since it caught fire about two weeks ago.
Los Angeles County Inspector Kathryn Barger said in X’s post that the county fire department “is using our air fleet to knock it out as soon as possible.”
Cut out for them: The wind blows north of the fire at 37 mph, according to the National Weather Service. A red flag warning from the National Weather Service said wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph have spread to much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, ensuring rapid spread.
