The scholarship was established by the late Jene Fielder, a longtime Castaic resident. CUSD board member David Huffaker who presented the scholarships and helped Fielder create the fund described her as “a character who was very sweet.” “It’s been a really nice legacy for Jene,” Huffaker added “It’s been an honor to do this year after year.” The scholarship recipients are all either current or former students of Castaic Middle School and are now in high school or beyond whether attending college more than $11,000 was awarded to the following 10 students: To apply, students must submit an essay describing how Castaic Middle School influenced their lives along with two letters of recommendation and an explanation of how they plan to use the scholarship funds “This year it ranged from one student needing money for a reed for his clarinet for college we had stem cell laboratory materials and things of that sort,” said Huffaker “Our senior awardee needed certifications for her environmental engineering so it’s a huge spectrum.” For Castaic High School senior Broden Weeks the scholarship will help cover the cost of EMT certifications a step toward his goal of becoming a firefighter and ultimately a public information officer with the L.A “I have always had a craving for helping people as well as being out there in the public and speaking,” said Weeks “So being a public information officer is going to combine my past media experience with being able to help the public in ways not a lot of people do.” Weeks said receiving the Jene Fielder Trust Scholarship is an honor – not just because he was one of 10 chosen from a pool of 30 applicants but because he strives to embody the values the scholarship represents and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Attorney LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio What we know so far: The Hughes Fire broke out Wednesday off Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake for more on evacuations and weather conditions This is a developing story and will be updated For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check: Firefighters continue to make progress in containing the massive Hughes Fire that broke out Wednesday near Castaic Lake growing to more than 10,000 acres and forcing mass evacuations Around 38,000 people remain under evacuation warnings even as containment has reached 56% The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued a Temporary Flight Restriction in the airspace above the fire meaning people cannot fly drones in the area on Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake and burned through hundreds of acres within minutes 3 hour time-lapse of the #HughesFire that has grown from 500 to over 5,000 acres.pic.twitter.com/C63X5ICYmD pic.twitter.com/cEedxtydLC The National Weather Service extended a red flag warning in the area until 10 a.m Friday — with a high wind advisory in place until 2 p.m Evacuation warnings have been issued for several areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties Caltrans reopened both sides of the 5 Freeway Wednesday evening after closing lanes between Grapevine Road and State Route 126 Area school districts will reopen most schools Friday after closing Wednesday and Thursday Superintendent Bob Brauneisen previously said in a statement to families and staff that poor air quality and the need to assess facility safety extended the closures Hart Union High School District said in a statement that it will reopen all campuses except for Academy of the Canyons which is on the campus of College of the Canyons and currently serving as a command center The closures earlier in the week affected about 5,000 students The Saugus Union School District told LAist in an email that all campuses will be open The district previously closed its offices and three schools in mandatory evacuation and evacuation warning zones Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials moved 476 people from the Pitchess Detention Center said those jailed were taken to North County Correctional Facility That facility is also within the evacuation zones Sheriff Robert Luna said the department is prepared to pivot to Plan B if needed  "The Plan B that they would be being transported to other facilities around the county and they would be transported by any means possible," he said "We do have buses that are on the way up there." (KBAK/KBFX) — A large brush fire that erupted near Interstate 5 in Castaic has burned more than 10,000 acres causing several evacuation orders and warnings Wednesday morning According to CalFire, the so-called Hughes Fire has burned 10,176 acres with 14% containment north of Castaic Reservoir Road in Castaic According to Genasys Protect there are several evacuation orders for the areas near Castaic Lake There is also several evacuation warnings for the areas around Castaic Lake CHP Fort Tejon said all lanes for both northbound and southbound of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine are closed Caltrans District 7 said all lanes on northbound Interstate 5 just north of Highway 126 are closed They are asking travelers to avoid the area CalFire said they have deployed more than 1,100 firefighters with 20 pre-positioned engines Find Firehouse.com’s full coverage of the 2025 California Fire Storm, which began Jan. 7 near Los Angeles, here LOS ANGELES — A new fire exploded Wednesday north of Castaic quickly charring 5,000 acres and forcing thousands to flee from their homes amid a month of extreme fire conditions that have plagued Southern California The Hughes fire started off of Lake Hughes Road just before 11 a.m and quickly prompted evacuations orders in and around Lake Castaic extending toward Interstate 5 on the west and south of Sanberg to the north More than 19,000 people were ordered to evacuate and another 14,000 people were in areas where evacuation warnings were issued the fire—initially reported at 50 acres—exploded to more than 5,000 acres in under two hours according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Traffic was snarled out of Castaic as residents in hillside communities rushed to escape the advancing flames the blaze forced officials to close a section of the northbound 5 freeway just north of state route 126 The southbound 5 Freeway at Grapevine Road on the southern edge of Kern County was also closed.  residents rushed to load belongings into their cars to flee as winds continued to push the fire south One man told KTLA-TV he was planning to stick around as long as possible and was preparing to use a garden hose to spray down his roof to protect it from flying embers a Los Angeles County Sheriff Department patrol car drove through the neighborhood announcing evacuations orders over a loudspeaker “I’m just praying our house doesn’t burn down,” another resident told the station An employee who picked up the phone at Pilot Travel Center just after noon said they were working to close the truck stop off the 5 Freeway on Castaic Road “The sky is black and we’re getting everyone out of the shop,” she said Lake Hills Community Church Pastor David Cummings coordinated with his congregants over the phone helping them find lodging and praying with them as they left their homes Of the 140 church members that attend Lake Hills Community Church about half of them live in the area where evacuations have been issued He could see the fire and smoke on remote security camera footage from the church that overlooks Castaic Lake.  “We’re keeping in touch with them and people are going over to help them get their needed goods,” Cummings said from his home in Valencia “We’re providing homes to the other half of congregation but we’re making sure they have a place to stay and all their needs are being met.” The fire was burning about five miles north of the county’s Castaic jail complex forcing deputies at one point to move inmates from the Pitchess Detention Center to North County Correctional Facility another jail in the same complex slightly further from the fire The jail was listed in the evacuation zone by the afternoon It’s unclear how jail officials would carry out an evacuation the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has struggled with a shortage of inmate transport buses due to an aging fleet that has become increasingly difficult to repair officials told The Times that only 20 of the department’s 82 buses were operational Though the county approved funding for 20 new buses in September 2023 the first did not arrive until December of last year The remaining buses are slated to arrive every few weeks until the order is expected to be completed in August a department spokeswoman said that jail officials could potentially use state and other local resources but it was not immediately clear what resources that would entail Road closures were enacted at Ridge Route Road at Lake Hughes Road Lake Hughes Road at Pine Canyon Road and Dry Gulch Road at San Francisquito Canyon Road according to the California Highway Patrol Castaic Union School District principals who were at a training meeting when the Hughes brush fire broke out were told to immediately return to their schools Northlake Hills Elementary received an evacuation order while the principals returned to their schools and assisted parents and guardians who arrived to pick up their children Students from Castaic Middle School and Castaic Elementary school were evacuated to a Ralph’s parking lot at Hasley Canyon to wait for their parents Up to eight helicopters were dropping water on the fire to slow the spread of the flames Strike teams were also mobilizing to protect homes in the path of the fire “There are lots of hillsides,” L.A County Fire Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh said “It’s very rugged terrain.” But strong winds in the area proved to be a challenge for firefighters Wind gusts reached 31 mph Wednesday afternoon in Castaic and were expected to increase over the next several hours a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard Forecasts show that gusts could reach up to 40 mph in the evening and even faster overnight As classes were letting out at Valencia High on Wednesday afternoon sheriff’s deputies and campus security personnel began readying the school’s gym as an evacuation center and their cat Lily after being told to leave their home just an hour earlier Neither had a bag packed and instead fled with a few important papers and the clothes on their backs “What this shows me is to be ready next time,” Danielle said It is not clear what sparked the fire. The blaze is burning in the same area that was charred in the Route fire in 2022. That fire which ignited during a heat wave in late August burned 5,200 acres and forced evacuations in Castaic The Hughes fire was one of two that began Wednesday amid persistent red flag conditions in the region a fire that broke out near Rancho Bernardo and grew to roughly 4 acres and briefly triggered evacuations before its forward progress was stopped Red flag fire weather warnings — which began Monday morning across Southern California — will continue through much of Southern California through Friday morning a meteorologist with the National Weather Service a storm expected to arrive this weekend is expected to bring some moisture to Southern California’s parched landscape But forecasters have warned it will not end the fire season the risk of debris flows in burned areas is low There’s a chance a thunderstorm could emerge directly over a recently burned area — creating a risk of landslides — but it’s not likely Los Angeles city and county officials have started preparing for the rain Public works in the coming days will install barriers remove debris and divert runoff from the stormwater system into the sewer system Crews are also clearing drains and roadways placing sandbags to shore up vulnerable infrastructure and preparing debris basins for the incoming storm leveled a huge swath of Pacific Palisades burning more than 23,400 acres and destroying at least 6,662 structures The blaze was 68% contained as of Wednesday which charred a devastating path through the Altadena and Pasadena areas “Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire impacted communities is real,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Wednesday the rain could serve as a practice run in preparing for risks that are likely to remain for the next one to two years after which the risk of debris flows and other landslide risks is substantially lowered Recently burned areas are at risk of landslides when subjected to intense rain over a short amount of time Hillsides are vulnerable to landslides after wildfires because the fires make the soils repellent to water rain flows downhill and picks up rocks and debris A “landslide” is an all-encompassing term that can describe any movement of rock water picks up not only mud as it rapidly flows downhill but also rocks This is considered a type of shallow landslide Debris flows can be deadly. In January 2018, 23 people died and at least 130 homes were destroyed when a river of mud and rock flowed through coastal Montecito which had been burned less than a month earlier in the Thomas fire Rainfall rates need to be at around half an inch per hour or more to start causing debris flows of significance Rates that are lower — like a quarter of an inch per hour — are less significant “maybe some muddy water moving over some roads,” he said While meteorologists say the risk of debris flows in the burn areas is low it’s also very unlikely the rain will snuff out the fire season “If we get one more little dry spell it’ll pretty much negate any benefit from this rain,” Kittell said That dry spell may be just around the corner there could be more weeks of dry weather going into early February Forecasters are confident there will be some rain and mountain snow this weekend They also expect precipitation to be light — probably less than half an inch for the three-day rain event The most likely forecast would bring as much as half an inch to San Diego San Clemente and Covina; two-fifths of an inch to downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach; one-third of an inch to Anaheim Redondo Beach and San Clemente; and one-quarter of an inch to Santa Clarita and Canoga Park they would snap a record dry streak for downtown Los Angeles last saw more than one-tenth of an inch of rain on a single day — that was May 5 The previous record was 253 consecutive days has received almost no rain since the water year began Oct Only 0.16 of an inch of rain has fallen since then — one of the driest starts to the water year on record That’s just 3% of the average rainfall for downtown at this point in the water year this has been the driest start to the water year on record “We’ve never been in this territory before We’ve never seen a mid-January with these numbers,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy The lack of precipitation and the Santa Ana winds — five wind events this month alone — make for a brutal combination The forecast timing and totals of the upcoming rain event are still uncertain Less rain or as much as an inch in some locations is possible And it could rain at any point from Saturday through Monday but the best chance is Saturday night into Sunday morning There is also a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms and with rates maybe approaching a half-inch per hour” are possible “The vast majority of areas will not see this kind of situation,” he added “most likely we’ll see a spot — or two or three — that do get conditions like this.” “It is not an atmospheric river,” Tardy said Residents whose homes back up to charred hillsides can request the county assess their property and the condition of the slope and advise whether any mitigation needs to be done the Los Angeles County Public Works director He emphasized that Angelenos in burn-scarred areas should use caution during upcoming rain events if you live in an area and you’re in the home and there is a slope behind your home that is burned and it’s maybe 20 feet or more in height and it is adjacent to the property in any direction your best bet is not to be in that home when it rains,” Pestrella said Residents should also take care not to come into contact with any runoff There is also a moderate risk of small hail across the region Snow levels could fall to an elevation of 3,500 to 4,500 feet above sea level Southern California’s ski resorts could get 10 inches of snow Times staff writers Richard Winton, Kevin Baxter and Stacy Perman contributed to this report ©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at l home to the upcoming Sixth Annual Dragon Boating festival on Saturday Wake up bright and early as gates open at 6:30 a.m Over 500 paddlers and spectators are expected to attend this family-friendly event where tradition meets competition Dragon boat racing epitomizes the fusion of 2000 years of heritage and athleticism Originating from age-old rituals in southern China this time-honored sport has evolved into a global phenomenon and is open to seasoned veterans or curious newcomers For more information about the event or dragon boats in general check out the website You can be the first one to leave a comment southbound I-5 from two miles north of Templin Highway to Lake Hughes Road is scheduled to have one lane closed in each direction between 9 a.m Templin Highway and Truck Break Inspection off-ramps from southbound I-5 are scheduled to be closed from 9 a.m This construction is part of a project that began in April of 2022 The overall scope of the project includes replacing concrete slabs repairing and stabilizing slopes through rock scaling and installing geogrid Motorists are asked to allow extra travel time and drive with caution through the construction zone as Caltrans works to keep the freeways safe Note: The above information was provided to KHTS Radio by Caltrans Around 8:50 a.m. Monday, first responders received reports of a bicycle rider in cardiac arrest on Hillcrest Parkway near Sloan Canyon Road in Castaic spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fire Department pronounced the individual dead on arrival it is unknown if the rider went into cardiac arrest before or after the fall The identity of the individual was not released pending the next of kin more information will be added when it becomes available The L.A. Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) announced on April 16, 2025, that pet owners are now allowed to drop off any pet at any of the seven County Animal Care Centers without an appointment The decision was made following prior challenges and a desire to improve the quality of animal care was supportive of this decision for both the pet owner and the pet “The delay (of the appointment system) often brought stress on both the animal and the owner,” said Valles “Leading to a situation where pets were either referred as strays or even abandoned in the  Animal Care Center parking lot Although the process is new, Valles described it as not having undergone a radical change, contrary to rumors shared by What’s Up SCV and volunteer-run social media pages “Castaic (Animal Care Center) at the moment has empty kennels and we’re still providing service to the community,” Valles said “We’re able to assist anyone in a situation where they have to surrender their pet.” There was also a need to clarify that the Castaic Care Center was not currently euthanizing due to full kennels and needing to provide more space the decision to euthanize is made based on other factors considered by staff “Any data you want can be requested for a records request with our department to get those stats,” said Valles “Our (Castaic Animal Care Center) decision making is the same we have a model social conscience of sheltering and we try to find every adoptable animal a loving home and when decisions are made (euthanizations) it’s based on a conversation because of behavioral issues or things like that.” Besides rumors, there is still a possibility for some shelters to be overwhelmed by this new policy, but there is a strong push to promote through social media, increasing adoption events and transporting pets to where demand is higher, according to the DACC For more information on the Castaic Animal Care Center, visit their website here The reason the Castaic Animal Care Center may briefly have empty kennels now is because euthanasias have increased dramatically multiple dogs were killed… so that they could handle the increase of dogs being brought in Ask Valles for the number of weekly euthanasias—request the records More dogs are being euthanized to free those kennels up Tagged with: Around 11 a.m. Tuesday, first responders received reports of a traffic collision on the southbound 5 Freeway near Hasley Canyon Road in Castaic spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department The crash involved a motorcycle, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) logs At least one person was transported to the hospital in unknown condition At least two southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway were briefly stopped Note: This is a breaking news story; more information will be added if it becomes available (KBAK/KBFX) — A stolen vehicle pursuit that originated in Bakersfield ended near Castaic Thursday afternoon Bakersfield police tell Eyewitness News it started around 12:40 p.m after officers were notified of a stolen vehicle in the 3700 block of Burr Street Police say the victim of the stolen pick-up truck was able to direct officers to the vehicle which was located where the Westside Parkway meets Stockdale Highway in west Bakersfield Officers tried to stop the suspect behind the wheel of the pick-up but he refused to stop A pursuit then ensued which was ultimately handed off to California Highway Patrol The pursuit eventually entered the southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway southwest of Bakersfield where it continued down into the Grapevine Eyewitness News' CBS affiliate KCAL News Los Angeles picked up the tail end of the pursuit near Castaic which were presumably successful as video showed the right front tire of the truck completely gone the suspect eventually stopped and surrendered on the 5 Freeway near Hasley Canyon Road near Castaic There were no reports of any injuries associated with the pursuit 2025 7:10PM GMTStream Southern California's News Leader and Original Shows 24/7LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A flood watch will go into effect Sundy in recent Los Angeles County wildfire areas as the first of what's expected to be three days of rain arrives and authorities switch gears from worrying about fires to possible landslides The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from 10 a.m Although the rainfall totals aren't expected to be that large the terrain in the fire areas is especially vulnerable to movement after the devastating blazes Jan 23, 2025, 7:24 PMHughes Fire map shows evacuation zones in Castaic Mandatory evacuations were issued Wednesday in the Castaic area due to the fast-spreading Hughes Fire CAL FIRE's map shows the evacuation zones CAS-BITTERCANYONCAS-CASTAICLAKECAS-CHARLIECANYONLAC-E008LAC-E016 CAS-BISCAILUZCAS-CAMBRIDGECAS-GOLDENSTATECAS-GREENHILLCAS-HASLEYCAS-HILLCRESTCAS-INDUSTRYCAS-LIVEOAKCAS-OAKCANYONCAS-PARADISERANCHCAS-RIDGECAS-ROMEROCAS-SLOANCAS-VALVERDEGOR-E004GOR-HUNGRYVALLEYLAC-E005LAC-E009-BLAC-E011-ALAC-E017LAC-E018LAC-E029LAC-E030LAC-FRANCISQUITOSCL-BLACKPINESCL-CALEXSCL-DECOROSCL-KELLYJOHNSONSCL-MOUNTAINVIEWSCL-PACIFICCRESTSCL-RANCHOTESOROSCL-REYESABODESCL-REYESADOBESCL-RIONORTESCL-RYESCL-TESORODELAVALLESCL-WESTHILLSSLC-REYESADOBESLC-STERLING - Ridge Route Rd at Lake Hughes- Ridge Route Rd at Templin Hwy- Lake Hughes at Pine Cyn- Dry Gulch at San Francisquito Cyn Rd- I-5 NB at Parker Rd Off Ramp and I-5 NB at Lake Hughes Rd off ramp will be shut down Evacuation shelters- Evacuation center: College of the Canyons East Gym at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road 33 UpdatesJan 23, 2025, 7:24 PM GMTHughes Fire map shows evacuation zones in Castaic Mandatory evacuations were issued Wednesday in the Castaic area due to the fast-spreading Hughes Fire Red flag warning extended through ThursdayFor a few hours overnight Southern California was not under a red flag warning but another warning has been issued - which means the critical fire danger isn't over This comes as the region urgently prepares for rain this weekend triggering landslide fears in fire-damaged communities Light to moderate Santa Ana winds will continue through Wednesday afternoon across Ventura and Los Angeles counties There will be another increase in northeast winds Wednesday night into Thursday which applies for a large swath of Southern California Temperatures during the weekend will see a big drop as some moisture from the north moves into SoCal bringing a chance of light rain and raising the threat of mudslides in fire-impacted areas In light of the fire danger and looming threat of mudslides officials are urging residents to have an evacuation plan in place Chef who lost home in wildire keeps his spirits up by feeding othersThe Pacific Palisades home where chef Daniel Shemtob and his wife dreamed of raising a family is now nothing more than a cratered pit of twisted metal and rubble the nursery with the baby giraffe and elephant wallpaper the half-century-old olive trees in the yard But even as the Los Angeles-area wildfires continue to burn, Shemtob has been soothing his soul by dishing out free foil-wrapped breakfast burritos and tacos from his award-winning food truck to first-responders and weary evacuees It would be easy for the two-time Food Network competition winner to dwell on the loss of the home thinking about the people he has met through the food giveaways One man was so happy with his sweet and spicy steak taco that he declared it the first time he smiled since his home burned Another person loved the simple cheese quesadilla the chef made for him so much he came back for more and brought six family members Then there was the National Guardsman who lent a sympathetic ear one cold morning "He sat and wanted to hear my story while he ate his breakfast burrito," said Shemtob Evacuation warning lifted for Jurupa Valley fireA brush fire erupted in the riverbed of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley and quickly grew to about 38 acres Tuesday in the area of Van Buren Boulevard and Clay Street near the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter CalFire initially said the Clay Fire was at two acres and burning at a slow rate of speed in the river bottom but an evacuation warning was in place for a couple of hours that the evacuation warning had been lifted but cautioned that crews were still working in the area Print • The Hughes fire north of Castaic quickly grew to more than 10,000 acres but no structures were reported damaged.• Southern California expects less than half an inch of rain Saturday through Monday A new fire exploded Wednesday north of Castaic charring more than 10,000 acres and forcing thousands to flee their homes amid a month of extreme fire conditions that have plagued Southern California The Hughes fire started off Lake Hughes Road just before 11 a.m and quickly prompted evacuations orders in and around Castaic Lake which by afternoon extended toward Ventura County to the west and near Sandberg to the north More than 31,000 people were ordered to evacuate The fire was initially reported at 50 acres but grew to 5,000 acres in the first two hours fire officials said they were starting to get a handle on the fast-moving blaze in addition to all of those ground resources which allowed us to get the upper hand,” said L.A County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone at an evening news conference and it certainly looked much more aggressive.” A red flag warning will remain in place in areas of L.A. and Ventura counties until 10 a.m. Friday, as moderate Santa Ana winds sweep through the region and continue to challenge firefighting efforts, according to the National Weather Service. Amid the rapid spread of the fire, a stretch of Interstate 5 was closed for several hours, snarling traffic. It reopened in both directions around 6 p.m., while the offramps at Lake Hughes Road and Parker Road remained closed, according to the California Highway Patrol. Air quality was in the unhealthy range in the area of the Hughes fire, according to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. An alert was issued Wednesday afternoon for Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Ventura. A smoke advisory was also issued for a wide swath of northwestern L.A. County from the Santa Monica and Malibu coastline to the south up through the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita and into the Castaic Lake area. More than 4,000 firefighting personnel are assigned to the incident, and so far there have been no reports of structures damaged, Marrone said. Fire victims seek answers about rebuilding, cleanup timeline Moments after the Hughes fire exploded Jonathan Hatami said he raced out of the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster and drove back to Santa Clarita where hundreds of kids were being evacuated from West Creek Academy as the sky overhead darkened with smoke Everybody is kind of on edge,” said Hatami whose wife is a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who had been dispatched to help with evacuations said his entire family was experiencing “fire fatigue” after more than two weeks spent waiting for wind-driven flames to threaten their home but this is definitely stressful,” he said “It’s hard to go to work when you’re worried your house could burn down and your kids are at school and you don’t know what’s going to happen with her.” The fire was burning about five miles north of the county’s Castaic jail complex forcing deputies to move 476 inmates from the tent-like barracks at Pitchess Detention Center to the concrete North County Correction Facility Both buildings are part of the same jail complex that is within an evacuation zone Sheriff Robert Luna said the department had plans in place to fully evacuate the jail complex if fire officials deemed it necessary Luna said the current plan was to continue sheltering in place Though roughly three-quarters of the department’s inmate transport buses are not in operation Luna told The Times that Ventura County was sending buses and the department may also use Metro buses as the sun began to set over Castaic Lake on Wednesday the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flame casting an eerie orange glow across the valley below wooden piles supporting power lines had burned and snapped spreading high-voltage wires like snakes across the pavement a pair of firefighting helicopters circled in constant hurried laps between the lake and the burning hillsides where a string of apartment buildings stood a stone’s throw from the flames residents watched the spectacle like fans at a sporting event — phones held aloft sharing the shocking images with friends and family via livestream video Antonio Morataya had been at work about 15 minutes away when he heard the field next to his apartment building was burning tossed his passport and whatever other documents he could grab into his car and then stepped outside to watch what turned into an hours-long battle between firefighters and the flames Of the 140 church members who attend the church about half live in the area where evacuations have been issued “We’re keeping in touch with them and people are going over to help them get their needed goods,” Cummings said from his home in Valencia “We’re providing homes to the other half of congregation but we’re making sure they have a place to stay and all their needs are being met.” Castaic Union School District principals who were at a training meeting when the Hughes fire broke out were told to immediately return to their schools Students from Castaic Middle School and Castaic Elementary School were evacuated to a Ralphs parking lot at Hasley Canyon to wait for their parents As many as eight helicopters were dropping water on the fire to slow the spread of the flames Cal Fire has deployed 20 prepositioned engines four bulldozers and aircraft to support the response to the Hughes fire Forecasts show that gusts could reach up to 40 mph in the evening and even higher overnight It is not clear what sparked the fire. The blaze is burning in the same area that was charred in the Route fire in 2022. That blaze, which ignited during a heat wave in late August, burned 5,200 acres and forced evacuations in Castaic. The Hughes fire was one of two that began Wednesday amid persistent red flag conditions in the region. In San Diego County, a fire broke out near Rancho Bernardo and grew to roughly four acres, briefly triggering evacuations before its forward progress was stopped. A storm expected to arrive this weekend is forecast to bring some moisture to Southern California’s parched landscape. But forecasters have warned it will not end the fire season. This article is provided free of charge to keep our community safe and supported in the aftermath of the devastating fires in Southern California. Because the rain is expected to be light, the risk of debris flows in burned areas is low. There’s a chance a thunderstorm could emerge directly over a recently burned area — creating a risk of landslides — but it’s not likely, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Still, Los Angeles city and county officials have started preparing for the rain. Public works in the coming days will install barriers, remove debris and divert runoff from the stormwater system into the sewer system, where it can be treated. Crews are also clearing drains and roadways, placing sandbags to shore up vulnerable infrastructure and preparing debris basins for the incoming storm, officials said Wednesday. The Palisades fire, which ignited more than two weeks ago, leveled a huge swath of Pacific Palisades, burning more than 23,400 acres and destroying at least 6,662 structures, according to Cal Fire. The blaze was 70% contained as of Wednesday evening. The Eaton fire, which charred a devastating path through the Altadena and Pasadena areas, destroying 9,418 structures, was 95% contained as of Wednesday night. Authorities have confirmed 28 deaths, 11 in the Palisades fire and 17 in the Eaton fire. California We’re tracking damage assessments from the Eaton and Palisades fires, which destroyed 12,000 structures in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. For recently burned areas, Kittell said, the rain could serve as a practice run in preparing for risks that are likely to remain for the next year or two, after which the risk of debris flows and other landslide risks is substantially lowered. Rainfall rates need to be at around half an inch per hour or more to start causing debris flows of significance, Kittell said. Rates that are lower — like a quarter of an inch per hour — are less significant, causing “maybe some muddy water moving over some roads,” he said. Although meteorologists say the risk of debris flows in the burn areas is low, it’s also very unlikely the rain will snuff out the fire season. “If we get one more little dry spell, it’ll pretty much negate any benefit from this rain,” Kittell said. That dry spell may be just around the corner. The longer-term outlook suggests that, on the heels of this storm, there could be more weeks of dry weather going into early February. A Thanksgiving Day storm hit Southern California, bringing heavy rain that could result in mudflows in recent wildfire burn areas. Residents whose homes back up to charred hillsides can request the county assess their property and the condition of the slope and advise whether any mitigation needs to be done, said Mark Pestrella, the Los Angeles County Public Works director. He emphasized that Angelenos in burn-scarred areas should use caution during upcoming rain events. “Let me be clear, if you live in an area and you’re in the home, and there is a slope behind your home that is burned, and it’s maybe 20 feet or more in height, and it is adjacent to the property in any direction, your best bet is not to be in that home when it rains,” Pestrella said. Times staff writers James Queally, Richard Winton, Kevin Baxter and Stacy Perman contributed to this report. As firefighters continue to battle multiple major wildfires, The Times has compiled a list of resources to help. Nathan Solis reports on breaking news with the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times. Rong-Gong Lin II is a Metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in covering statewide earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bay Area native is a graduate of UC Berkeley and started at the Los Angeles Times in 2004. Clara Harter is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered politics and education for the L.A. Daily News. While at the Daily News, she published a series on fentanyl addiction that won a first-place investigative journalism award from the L.A. Press Club. Harter majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University. She loves surfing and, when not reporting, can most likely be found in the ocean. Jack Dolan is an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. A winner of numerous national awards, he has twice been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The Hughes fire ignited earlier in the day north of Castaic and by evening had grown to more than 9,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of about 31,000 people. Overhead, a pair of firefighting helicopters circled in constant, hurried laps between the lake and the burning hillsides. It took them only about a minute to fill their water tanks with hoses as they hovered above the surface, then only a couple of more minutes to drop their loads on the flames and return for more. Brian van der Brug was a staff photojournalist at the Los Angeles Times from 1997 to 2025. (KERO) — What's described as a "fast-moving" wildfire is burning near Castaic and causing closures on the I-5 including on the Grapevine and those in the immediate area of Castaic Lake are under mandatory evacuation orders and warnings according to the LA County Fire Department The fire has now burned more than 9,000 acres and is at 0% containment To see if you are in or near the impacted area, you can visit protect.genasys.com An evacuation center is open at Valencia High School on 27801 Dickason drive Another evacuation center has opened at Hart High School at 24825 Newhall Ave Aerial footage shows fire crews battling the rapidly developing Hughes Fire near Castaic in California '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Stream PBS SoCal and your favorite PBS programs to your TV and devices wherever Celebrate AAPI Month on PBS SoCal all May with exclusive programs Find full episodes and educational games from Curious George Support PBS SoCal and watch full seasons of your favorite shows The Hughes Fire that broke out Wednesday near Castaic Lake quickly grew to more than 5,000 acres prompting road closures and evacuation orders.Castaic High School has been evacuated with students released to parents or moved to West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch Castaic Union District office clerk Renee Stewart told LAist that all schools have been evacuated that is around 2000 students per the California Schools Dashboard Evacuation warnings are also in place for several neighboring areas The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning in the area until 8 p.m Wednesday and high wind warnings are in effect from overnight until 2 p.m Evacuation orders have been issued by the Los Angeles County Fire Department for the following areas: Authorities say those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave immediately Valencia has been set up as an evacuation center but authorities are warning drivers to exercise caution as visibility might be impacted by smoke PBS SoCal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID: 95-2211661 a 16-year employee of the LASD running against incumbent Sheriff Robert Luna for Los Angeles County Sheriff discussed his background and work protecting the public Martinez legally immigrated to the United States when he was 10 years old after which he was raised largely by his Catholic grandmother Martinez heavily considered studying to become a priest at seminary but instead opted to join the Marine Corps when he reached adulthood “I went in thinking I’m going to get some great training and it was seven years of wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq,” Martinez said I went into the Marine Corps with barely a high school degree and I left with a master’s degree and the honor of having served my country in two wars.” Martinez joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and was assigned to the Palmdale station Martinez was prompted to step forward as a potential candidate for L.A criticizing Sheriff Luna for what he sees as politicizing the sheriff’s department and not supporting deputies under the leadership – or lack thereof – of Robert Luna the sheriff’s department has been weaponized for politics and it is the left side of politics that has been weaponized our deputies that are out there protecting our communities do not have the support of their leadership and the community should be concerned about that because when the deputies feel that they don’t have the backing and they and the support of their leadership the only victim is the community,” Martinez said I’m not saying that our deputies are letting the bad guy go but they’re going to do the very minimum because they’re scared of getting in trouble.” Martinez checked with his most trusted advisor if anybody’s going to tell me that I’m wrong Martinez highlighted some of his greatest concerns around the LASD’s 1,400 deputy shortage and the impact on contract cities Martinez emphasized his commitment to public safety and integrity contrasting himself against Luna’s perceived political motivations your job is to protect the communities of this county,” Martinez said “It doesn’t matter if you’re a contract city or you’re not He’s supposed to work with the board of supervisors He’s not supposed to be a subject to the Board of Supervisors I’m going to work with the Board of Supervisors but my priority is going to be public safety.” He also discussed the federal case against Deputy Trevor Kirk criticizing Luna’s handling of the situation “He did everything by the book,” Martinez said the sheriff decided to have this press conference (…)  But why did you have the press conference why did you go out publicly saying that you had issues with that?” Martinez aims to raise $1.5 million for his 2026 campaign, which can be found here I believe I can survive this race,” Martinez said Print When a rapidly growing wildfire spread to more than 5,000 acres of northern L.A Sheriff Robert Luna told locals to evacuate immediately “If you are in these areas, and you get an evacuation order, you need to leave,” he said in a midafternoon television interview But for the 4,700 inmates at the facilities in the Castaic jail complex — all of which were in an evacuation zone by midafternoon — that would be impossible “They have no choice,” said Vanessa Rosenkild whose brother is at one of the fire-threatened facilities they have been put there because of their choices and they still have family members who love them.” As soon as the Hughes fire broke out midmorning five miles from the jails attorneys and inmate advocates urged local leaders to evacuate the inmates housed there But a shortage of transport buses — roughly three-quarters of which officials previously said were not operational — complicated the already nightmarish logistics of transferring thousands of inmates all at once sheriff’s officials moved roughly 480 inmates from a barracks-style facility to a sturdier concrete structure that was slightly farther from the flames but still at the same complex Luna said during the televised interview that fire officials had advised keeping the rest of the inmates — and their jailers — where they were sheltering in place inside the concrete structures when the flames had spread to more than 8,000 acres Luna told The Times that he’d started making plans for a large-scale evacuation should one become necessary a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California urged officials to move people immediately “If people die in the fires because LASD did not evacuate,” she told The Times “it will be the biggest carceral disaster in U.S The Hughes fire broke out a little before 11 a.m roughly five miles north of the Pitchess Detention Center “No evacuations have been ordered yet,” the department said at 10:58 a.m “The facilities are aware and will take appropriate action as necessary.” The blaze soon ballooned to more than 3,000 acres the ACLU of Southern California — which represents inmates in two class-action lawsuits against the jails — began reaching out to county officials Camacho emailed county Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s justice deputy “I hope that you and Supervisor Barger can put immediate pressure on LASD to start evacuating the four jails immediately,” Camacho wrote “I would imagine that there are about 1,000 LASD staff up there too But you’re definitely looking at well over 5,000 people to evacuate It’s simply too many people to evacuate to wait for an evacuation order or even a warning especially with only about 20 buses available that are likely spread around the county right now.” the Sheriff’s Department has struggled with a shortage of inmate transport buses Officials say the remaining buses are due to arrive every few weeks until the order is expected to be complete in August inmates have regularly missed court appearances due to the lack of buses for transporting them — something that has frustrated lawyers “They don’t have enough buses to take people to court,” Camacho said “They certainly don’t have enough buses to move them all at once for an evacuation.” the department said it was not evacuating the Castaic complex “yet,” but that day-shift deputies and jailers had been asked to stay late — both to help in the event of an evacuation at the jails and to assist with evacuations in parts of Santa Clarita affected by the blaze By 1 p.m., the fire had spread to more than 5,000 acres. The L.A. County Public Defenders Union issued a statement on social media calling for the facilities to be evacuated. “We demand that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Department take swift action to protect the lives of the thousands of incarcerated individuals entrusted to their care,” the statement said. “We are deeply alarmed by the imminent risk this disaster poses to the health and safety of our clients. They must not be neglected or abandoned during this critical moment.” Twenty minutes later, the department said it had redirected several of its still-operational buses to the area and begun moving roughly 400 inmates from the tent-like barracks at Pitchess Detention Center to the nearby North County Correctional Facility. By 2:30 p.m., both facilities fell within the evacuation zone, which extended to The Old Road to the west and Newhall Ranch Road to the south. The department said it was “evaluating the situation” to determine whether to evacuate further. Just after 4 p.m., Michelle Parris, director of the Vera Institute of Justice’s California office, joined in the calls for evacuation. “The county must call on all the state and county resources it can to evacuate as many people as possible immediately, provide PPE to anyone left behind, and concentrate firefighting resources to save thousands of people who cannot evacuate themselves,” she said in a statement. “Right now, nearly 5,000 lives are in danger because of Los Angeles County’s ongoing failure to keep incarcerated people safe and alive.” By that point, the flames had spread to 8,000 acres. But according to Luna, fire officials said the blaze was to the north of the facility, and the wind was blowing to the west. “If that shifts, we’re going to have a bunch of buses up here trying to get people out,” he said. To do that, Luna said, Ventura County is sending buses, and the Sheriff’s Department may also use Metro buses — with extra deputies to provide security. For now, he said, he has asked firefighters to take extra precautions to protect the jails. “We asked for a couple of drops and fire retardant between us and the fire, even though it’s not heading toward us,” he said. “I’m not willing to lose one person at that facility.” Sports Officials reported the brush fire just before 11 a.m local time on Wednesday and the blaze has since expanded rapidly northwest of Santa Clarita and downtown Los Angeles Mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings have been issued to neighborhoods surrounding the Castaic Lake The blaze quickly spread to 500 acres in just over an hour before extending to 3,400 acres by 12:30 p.m. local time, officials reported. As of 6 p.m. PT, the Hughes Fire has spread at least 9,269 acres. across LA and Ventura counties Students at Castaic schools have been evacuated to nearby locations awaiting parents to pick them up Gov. Gavin Newsom said state resources are assisting with the response to the Hughes Fire in the Angeles National Forest "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide the federal government with whatever it needs to extinguish this fire," he said Photos taken at the scene captured the fiery scene as first responders battle the blazes and vehicles flee Other images captured the massive cloud of smoke is visible from afar including at Six Flags Magic Mountain the Valencia amusement park that remains closed Wednesday This story has been updated to add new information 2:42 PM GMTHughes Fire in Castaic now 56% containedThe Hughes Fire that broke out in Castaic is now 56% contained the Border 2 Fire has burned 800 acres and has not yet been contained Authorities said crews are dealing with "some extreme fire behavior,'' as blowing embers have started smaller blazes in the area The county sheriff's office issued an evacuation order for residents in Dulz at Otay Mountain and a warning for an area just south of the JamulIndian Village The sheriff's office posted on social media Southwestern College is the evacuation site and authorities have closed Otay Lakes Road to traffic the burn area had grown to roughly 140 acres the fire had spread over an estimated 300 acres There were no known structural threats or reported injuries Road closures issued as Border Fire 2 grows to 600 acresThe San Diego Sheriff's Department issued road closures in the Otay Mesa area as the fire grew to 600 acres Alta Road is closed to traffic just south of Otay Mesa Road due to the rapid growing Border Fire 2 that is burning near the U.S Residents are asked to avoid the area until further notice Concern for mudslides rises as weekend rain threatens burn zonesAs Southern California prepares for much-needed rain coming this weekend the precipitation also brings new challenges like toxic ash runoff and mudslides Officials are preparing themselves - and residents - for the upcoming rain that is raising concern for possible mudslides that could bring more damage to areas previously hit by the wildfires Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of the possible weekend rain While officials say rain could help clear up air quality the potential for mudslides and toxic runoff filled with debris from the fires is high "I think the public health advice that we want to get out there is for folks to be aware of what they need to do to protect themselves from ash and soot and any fire debris," said Nichole Quick "Number one is we want to avoid contact," Quick added "Whether that be from breathing small particles or contact with skin The Los Angeles area is expected to get a quarter of an inch to half an inch of rain beginning Saturday while the mountain communities will see about 2-4 inches of snow "This fire burned two feet into the root There's nothing left to keep the soil in place and even one drop of rain will come down seven times faster than it would have prior to these fires," said Lisa Derderian with the city of Pasadena Officials across the affected areas began preparing Thursday for the upcoming rain by filling and stacking more than 15,000 sandbags Thousands of acres of slopes are potential slide dangers now that a lot of the vegetation that anchors the soil is gone The city hopes people near the fire areas start enforcing their properties as soon as possible "We have concerns for the next five years on mud and debris flow on this current fire so there's a lot to do," said Derderian county and public utility resources are available at the Santa Anita racetrack Affected residents can find everything from power equipment to K-rails and more than 400 members of the California Conservation Corps "The CCC is launching works that will help mitigate a lot of the debris flow of contaminants into the watershed of Los Angeles County," said Dana Howard with the California Conservation Corps Residents can pick up free sandbags at the following locations: --Altadena Golf Course 1456 east Mendocino Street Altadena CA 91001--Victory Park 2575 Paloma Street Pasadena CA 91107--Robinson Park 1081 north Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena CA 91103--Las Flores Creek Park 3895 Rambla Pacifico Street Malibu The Associated Press contributed to this report Thursday morning, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office County Public Health discussing the numerous complaints and concerns over street vendors in Castaic Branch Director James Dragan from the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health stated in his presentation that in the last 10 years contributing to the increasing concerns over public health and safety in communities The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated this trend as many businesses were forced to shut down leading more individuals to turn to street vending as a means of income and the restaurant industry was heavily impacted,” Dragan said “Then we started seeing people setting up on the sidewalks because you couldn’t dine in.” Dragan said even though most of the street vendors seem to the public like a small business trying to get by it’s actually more complex than that Street vendor in Castaic selling fruit (Sophia Lesseos) Many street vendors are part of large coordinated networks that have malpractices no food safety implications and do not pay taxes The biggest problems brought up at the meeting: Adam Hernandez, owner of Red Dot Pizza spoke with KHTS Radio about the impact on his local businesses in Castaic “I think that people in the community need to understand the financial impact on the businesses,” said Hernandez “We cannot sustain this with rents going up Officials have outlined a series of action items aimed at addressing these issues Castaic street vendor concerns being discussed at Thursday’s meeting (Sophia Lesseos) The initiatives discussed include increasing the number of enforcement operations in collaboration with the L.A which will provide escort and support during these crackdowns A key focus of the discussion was the unintended consequences of state laws SB 946 and SB 972 which decriminalized sidewalk vending and limited enforcement options SB 946 also known as the “Safe Sidewalk Vending Act,” decriminalizes sidewalk vending in California and allows local authorities to adopt non-criminal regulations for public health while prohibiting criminal prosecutions for sidewalk vending violations Meaning sidewalk street vending is not criminally illegal in California and vendors without a permit cannot get arrested for doing so SB 972 basically does the same as SB 946 and also enhances the safety sidewalk food vending This also makes it easier for street vendors to get a permit Local officials like Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office are advocating for legislative amendments to strengthen public health oversight public health representatives emphasized their responsibilities in overseeing mobile food operations These include inspections for compliance with the California Retail Food Code and responding to public complaints and we write it up and we address it from there,” said Dragan “Sometimes the amount of food in there is a truckload that we have to take to a disposal site that fills a large stakebed truck Permitted vendors are required to display grade cards and certification stickers to indicate compliance Complaint-based inspections are a critical enforcement tool with law enforcement providing security during operations Unpermitted food is classified as adulterated due to the risk of contamination and inspectors have the authority to dispose of unsafe food products and issue citations to violators Officials have observed a surge in large-scale unpermitted sidewalk vending operations including pop-up restaurants operating from warehouses These businesses pose serious public health risks due to improper food storage and preparation conditions Among the most pressing concerns in Castaic are parking violations These challenges often require coordination between multiple agencies for resolution Another challenge is the safety aspect for health inspectors Dragan noted in the meeting that health inspectors in Los Angeles County are often followed by individuals working for large-scale street vendor operations sometimes finding themselves in dangerous situations he stated that these individuals have “run our team off the road on the freeway” in previous incidents While he noted this hasn’t happened recently he emphasized that vendors follow inspectors from their headquarters presumably to alert other vendors about the inspectors’ movements so they can prepare or move their operations before an inspection occurs Public health authorities report that the high volume of complaints is straining resources has made enforcement more difficult by limiting authorities’ ability to penalize vendors A pending bill, SB 635 could further complicate matters by imposing additional restrictions on enforcement practices If this bill were passed it would prohibit local authorities from voluntarily sharing personally identifiable information of sidewalk vendors with immigration enforcement agents without a subpoena or judicial warrant Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Noyola said in the meeting that their “hands are tied behind our back” because these activities have been decriminalized Residents and business owners have expressed frustration over the unpermitted food vendors in Castaic Residents in Castaic voice their concerns to L.A “These street vendors are making millions of dollars!” Hernandez said Some property owners have cited declining property values and unpaid tenant rents as indirect consequences of increased sidewalk vending Community members have also raised concerns about the lack of aggressive enforcement While officials are working to help vendors obtain proper permits through initiatives like the Cottage Food Operations program (SB 972) critics argue that stronger punitive measures are necessary to curb the non-permitted vending officials are emphasizing the need for increased public awareness They are also advocating for additional resources and staffing to ensure more effective enforcement A representative from Kathryn Barger’s office said she is planning on bringing all the concerns from Castaic business owners to the supervisor for her to discuss in Sacramento They should hit canyon country’s Home Depot parking lot there are at least twelve unlicensed contractors operating out of their parking lot In addition to all of the serious concerns raised in the article these vendors move in and out of our community everyday and we know nothing about them My concern is that there may be more nefarious business taking place (drug sales trafficking) and law enforcement has no way to know who they are or what they are up to I find it hard to believe that with so many side walk vendors doing business (in addition to the food trucks) in close proximity to one another within the half mile stretch between Parker Rd and Lake Hughes Rd they can be making enough profit just selling street tacos Los Angeles County keeps promoting free or subsidized vending carts so the vendors are supported by our local government the area in front of Pilot was cleaned out LOS ANGELES (AP) — Evacuations were ordered on Wednesday for remote communities near a new wind-driven wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles as Southern California endured more dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and quickly burned through hundreds of acres of trees and brush sending up a huge plume of dark smoke near the Lake Castaic area of northern Los Angeles County WATCH: Remembering the victims of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires Los Angeles officials were preparing for potential precipitation even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas and firefighters extinguished small blazes that broke out during gusty weather expected to last through Thursday “We’re going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California,” Todd Hall Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants shore up hillsides and reinforce roads ahead of the possible rain Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas new challenges lie ahead,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference “Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real.” A 60 percent to 80 percent chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 centimeters) a meteorologist for the weather service’s office for Los Angeles up to an inch (2 1/2 centimeters) could fall in localized thunderstorms which would be a worst-case scenario if enough falls on scorched slopes “But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said Tuesday Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers were installing barriers and clearing drainage pipes and basins a town 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8 p.m Officials remained concerned that the two major blazes could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to watch for hot spots a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection WATCH: Poet Amanda Gorman pens tribute to crews battling the Los Angeles wildfires Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned strategically allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly 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 wind event LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer cautioned that the ash could contain heavy metals “Even a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning up bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came 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 Jan Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 68 percent LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire alleging Southern California Edison’s equipment sparked the blaze On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday Barger said Wednesday that details of Trump’s visit were still being worked out Associated Press radio reporter Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Print Hughes fire scorches more than 10,000 acres near Castaic; thousands flee Print Hughes fire: Evacuations Wednesday amid red flag warnings for the region the blaze had grown to about 10,400 acres and was 56% contained as of Friday morning EvacuationsLos Angeles County reduced evacuation orders to warnings for areas in and around Castaic Lake This zone roughly encompasses an area east of Ridge Route and Old Ridge Route roads south of Liebre Mountain Road and west of South Portal Road including an area north of Tapia Canyon Road and east of Lake Hughes Road Ventura County lifted evacuation orders and warnings Thursday morning the Lake Piru Recreation Area remains closed until further notice Most updated evacuation instructions can be found here, and here. Print Fire in Bel-Air frays nerves as red flag weather is set to peak Thursday in Los Angeles across the freeway and a mile north from the Getty Center moved uphill amid wind gusts in the area that at one point reached 25 mph meteorologist with the National Weather Service Contributing to the fire conditions was extremely dry air; relative humidity was 3% to 8% Print New fire breaks out along I-405 A new brush fire has broken out near Interstate 405 Print Fires and windstorms caused at least $350 million in damage to L.A recreation centers and a library that burned down which examined damage from the first four days of the fires was presented Wednesday to the City Council as part of a larger discussion on the impact of the emergency on the city budget Print Video: A look from the ground at the Hughes fire Print As the Hughes fire swells some residents gather near the flames to witness the spectacle A National Park Service fire ranger monitors the Hughes fire in Castaic on Wednesday afternoon. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) By Jack Dolan As the sun began to set over Castaic Lake on Wednesday the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flames The Hughes fire ignited earlier in the day north of Castaic and by evening had grown to more than 9,000 acres forcing the evacuation of about 31,000 people Print California attorney general charges L.A.-area real estate agent with price gouging in wake of wildfires “May this announcement serve as a stern warning to those who would seek to further victimize those who have lost everything,” Bonta said in a release “DOJ is aggressively and relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to make a quick buck off someone else’s pain.” Print I-5 reopens after fire closure A stretch of Interstate 5 in northern Los Angeles County that was closed because of the nearby Hughes fire reopened Wednesday evening officials closed the freeway in both directions through the Grapevine with northbound lanes shut down at the interchange with Highway 126 and southbound traffic closed at Grapevine Road on the southern edge of Kern County we will reopen the freeway so that people can go back and forth again,” L.A County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference 🚧Traffic Update🚧I-5 NB is now open!Closures that will remain in place will be as follows.I-5 NB to Parker Rd off RampI-5 NB to Lake Hughes Rd off RampParker RD/Ridge Rd EB from The Old RdLake Hughes Rd EB from The Old Rd pic.twitter.com/yxE60vHant Luna stressed that those who do not need to travel should still avoid the area if you want to go see what the firefighters are doing You are impacting the ingress and the egress of emergency vehicles Print ‘It’s hard to go to work when you’re worried your house could burn down.’ Fleeing flames in fire-weary SoCal where his children and hundreds of others were being evacuated from West Creek Academy as the sky overhead darkened with smoke everybody is kind of on edge,” said Hatami Print Hughes fire grows to 9,400 acres Firefighters work to prevent the spread of the Hughes fire on Wednesday in Castaic. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) By Clara Harter The Hughes fire has grown to more than 9,400 acres More than 4,000 firefighters are responding to the fire About 31,000 people in Castaic and other areas surrounding the fire were under evacuation orders and an additional 23,000 were under evacuation warnings There were no reports of damaged or destroyed structures Sheriff’s deputies have been deployed to evacuated areas to assist with security efforts “I want to make sure people know that if you leave your homes there will be additional deputies working out there in the neighborhoods to make sure your homes are safe,” he said at a news conference Print Hughes fire causing unhealthy air across swath of Southern California leading to potentially unhealthy air quality nearby The smoke has caused the air quality index to fall into the unhealthy range in Camarillo according to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Air quality monitors downwind of the Hughes fire recorded hazardous levels of smoke and soot, according to the district Some of the highest levels were recorded at Rio Mesa High School in El Rio The local air district urged residents to stay indoors as much as possible close all windows and doors and wear protective masks to limit their exposure The South Coast Air Quality Management District also issued a smoke advisory for a wide swath of northwestern Los Angeles County The potentially affected area stretches from the Santa Monica and Malibu coastline to the south up through the San Fernando Valley Angeles National Forest and into the Castaic Lake area Smoke will most heavily impact areas near and to the southwest of the fire the Interstate 5 corridor near Castaic Lake and Santa Clarita seniors and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the effects of smoke and soot When ultrafine particles from wildfires are inhaled they travel into the lungs and even into the bloodstream where they can trigger respiratory and cardiovascular problems Print Castaic Animal Care Center evacuated as Hughes fire spreads County animal shelter in Castaic has been closed and its animals evacuated The Castaic Animal Care Center has been fully evacuated and animals being housed there were transferred to Lancaster Animal Care Center County Department of Animal Care and Control spokesperson Chris Valles Valles didn’t know the specific number of animals evacuated Residents fleeing the fire can take large animals to Pierce College Equestrian Center at 6201 Winnetka Ave Small pets can be taken to the animal care centers in Palmdale Valles recommended that pet owners living in evacuation zones prepare an emergency kit with leashes you can grab the kit and leave immediately with your pet,” he said Print 19,000 in L.A County ordered to evacuate amid Hughes fire; Ventura County also orders evacuations About 19,000 people are under evacuation orders and an additional 15,000 are under evacuation warnings due to the Hughes fire north of Castaic according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna “If you are in these areas and you get an evacuation order Pitchess Detention Center South is about three miles away from the fire and is under an evacuation order “We are in the process of evacuating 476 inmates,” Luna said People in the Sheriff’s Department’s two other facilities North County Correctional Facility and Pitchess Detention Center North “but we’re constantly evaluating that for the safety of all of our inmates,” Luna told the TV station Deputies at one point were moving inmates from Pitchess to the North County Correctional Facility another jail in the same complex slightly farther from the fire Ventura County issued an evacuation order for an area east of Lake Piru and west of the 5 Freeway at 1:40 p.m and also issued an evacuation warning for the area east of Camulos to the L.A County border and north of Highway 126 to Lake Piru explained during a livestream on Wednesday that the predicted winds in the evening could drive the fire into Ventura County “This is not a good place to have a fire under northeast winds,” Swain said Print Interstate 5 closed in both directions along the Grapevine due to Hughes fire Interstate 5 is being closed in both directions along its Grapevine section due to the Hughes fire north of Castaic The 45-mile section of roadway connects Los Angeles County with the San Joaquin Valley The northbound 5 was closed at the interchange with California 126 on the northern edge of Valencia The southbound 5 was closed at Grapevine Road Print Video: Hughes fire explodes A new fire exploded Wednesday north of Castaic spreading quickly and forcing additional evacuations in fire-weary Southern California and evacuations were ordered shortly after Evacuations were ordered in and around Lake Castaic Print Red flag fire warnings most significant now through Thursday night Red flag fire weather warnings are expected to be the most significant from Wednesday midday through Thursday evening The weather service said it was extending the red flag fire weather warning — which warns of critical fire behavior and rapid spread of fires — through Friday at 10 a.m Firefighters were battling the rapidly spreading Hughes fire prompting evacuation orders Wednesday morning Meteorologist Lisa Phillips of the weather service said she was seeing a significant amount of smoke between the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 all the way through Ventura County Smoke could be smelled inside the weather service’s Oxnard office said meteorologist Ryan Kittell of the weather service gusts were up to 39 mph at the higher elevations around the Hughes fire north of Castaic; most other weather stations around the area were reporting gusts of around 15 mph to 25 mph Print Castaic jail complex in wildfire evacuation zone; officials plan to shelter in place The Castaic jail complex housed some 4,700 people as of late last year. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) By Keri Blakinger When a rapidly growing wildfire spread to more than 5,000 acres of northern L.A Print What we know about Hughes fire risk and nearby L.A Amid Hughes fire, evacuations were ordered in and around Lake Castiac It’s unclear how jail officials would carry out an evacuation the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has struggled with a shortage of inmate transport buses officials told The Times that only 20 of the department’s 82 buses were operational Print What we know about winds fueling the Hughes fire With the Hughes fire burning near Castaic and 31-mph wind gusts were recorded Wednesday afternoon said meteorologist Ariel Cohen with the National Weather Service in Oxnard The wind gusts are expected to increase over the next several hours into tonight and tomorrow A red flag warning is in effect through 8 p.m Thursday and a high wind warning is in effect through 2 p.m Print Boiling won’t help Explaining the Palisades and Altadena ‘Do Not Use’ water alerts meaning customers should not use that water until they get the all-clear If you’re wondering how fires can make drinking water dangerous the first thing to understand is this: The structures where we work and shop dine and sleep and just generally live our lives are full of materials that release toxic waste when those materials burn Print Altadena reopens to reveal devastated homes — but a community still standing Eaton fire victims Windy Crick, right, hugs her neighbor Ray Ahn, after they searched for keepsakes and valuables amid the rubble of their burned homes on W. Marigold Street in Altadena. By Libor Jany As she surveyed the charred remains of her old Altadena neighborhood where the public swimming pool once served as a summertime sanctuary for her and other Black residents Print This reservoir was built to save Pacific Palisades Los Angeles had a reckoning over firefighting purchased helicopters and dispatched more crews to the Santa Monica Mountains To accommodate growth in Pacific Palisades they built a reservoir in Santa Ynez Canyon as well as a pumping station “to increase fire protection,” as the L.A Department of Water and Power’s then-chief water engineer Print Many residents with disabilities can’t flee fires on their own Anthony Mitchell Sr. poses with two of his great-grandchildren. The Altadena patriarch died in the fast-moving Eaton fire Wednesday while waiting to be evacuated with his disabled son (Courtesy of Mitchell family) By Rebecca Ellis Facing mounting questions over a chaotic evacuation County officials say they want to build a database of residents with disabilities who require help fleeing a neighborhood engulfed in flames County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told county supervisors at a public meeting Tuesday that the ongoing wildfires underscored the need for a “database to track people who have mobility challenges or health challenges.” Print Trump’s order to cut off funding to sanctuary cities could threaten L.A President Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on Monday. (Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images) By Tony Barboza As Los Angeles rebuilds from a devastating wildfire that destroyed swaths of Pacific Palisades the city’s access to federal money could be imperiled by one of President Trump’s first-day immigration actions targeting “sanctuary cities.” An executive order that Trump signed Monday directs federal officials to take actions “to ensure that so-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations Print Red flag warning extended to Thursday night for L.A. Firefighters assess their strategy as the wind-whipped Eaton fire tears through Altadena on Jan. 7. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) By Clara Harter Although the worst of the Santa Ana winds appear to have passed Southern California is not out of the woods yet when it comes to fire risk the National Weather Service extended its red flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties until Thursday evening Print Sheriff’s Department launches Looter Suppression Team in Eaton fire neighborhoods The newly formed Looter Suppression Team will provide more surveillance and a quicker response time to Altadena neigborhoods evacuated during the fire but potentially left unsecured by residents the Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday Print Judge orders Southern California Edison to preserve evidence and equipment in Eaton fire Investigators on Jan. 17 look over the site at the base of an electrical tower where the Eaton fire might have begun. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) By Salvador Hernandez A judge on Tuesday ordered Southern California Edison to preserve data equipment and evidence related to the deadly Eaton fire a decision praised by attorneys who sued the giant utility company and suspect the fire began at the base of an electrical tower the ruling approved a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys for an Altadena woman whose home was burned in the fire and is now suing the utility company Print L.A County supervisor calls for outside investigation into Altadena evacuations Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Tuesday called for an outside investigation into the evacuation process during the Eaton Fire It comes as The Times reported that it took many hours for residents in western Altadena to get electronic evacuation orders. At least 17 people died in that area. many areas were notified of evacuation warnings and orders well in advance evacuation orders came hours after fire did “There has to be a thorough examination of life-saving emergency notifications that took place on that horrific evening it was a night of pure chaos for both fire and first responders.” it is important to gather all the facts so that we have a complete picture as to what happened “will answer questions for Altadena but will also benefit the county as a whole moving Residents told The Times they were stunned how long it took to get the evacuation order and by then many homes in the area were on fire Of the 17 deaths confirmed so far in the fire all of them occurred in the area west of Lake Avenue More than 7,000 homes were burned overall in the fire Print With rain possible for the weekend Mayor Karen Bass signed an emergency executive order Tuesday to prepare for possible rain this weekend. (Carlin Stiehl/For The Times) By Julia Wick Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order Tuesday morning to shore up Los Angeles burn areas and protect watersheds ahead of potential rain this weekend The forecast, which calls for some rain as soon as late Friday or early Saturday, comes as the Los Angeles area continues to battle a catastrophic firestorm that has devastated a wide swath of coastal L.A and Altadena in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains Print Sen Amy Klobuchar says she used her access to nudge Trump on L.A acknowledged the difficulty of overseeing the handoff of power to Donald Trump in the site where his followers rioted in seeking to overturn election results but also said it was important for herself and other Democrats to acknowledge Trump’s 2024 victory the chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies which worked for two years on planning the transition “And that’s why President Obama came and President Clinton they were well aware of what had happened in that request