Southern California is under a red flag warning for critical fire risk through Friday. The area has been facing constant challenges in controlling the fires, as dangerous winds gained strength again Thursday. The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and in less than a day charred nearly 16 square miles 41 square kilometers of trees and brush near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles 64 kilometers from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.
Crews made significant progress by late afternoon on the Hughes Fire, with more than one-third of it contained. Two new blazes were reported Thursday in the San Diego area. Evacuations were ordered but were later lifted after a brush fire erupted in the late afternoon in the wealthy enclave of La Jolla near the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.
Further south, near the U. Water-dropping helicopters made quick progress against the Laguna Fire that erupted in hills above the campus of about 7, students. The evacuation order was later downgraded to a warning. Winds are also not as strong as they were when the Palisades and Eaton fires broke out, allowing for firefighting aircraft to dump tens of thousands of gallons of fire retardant.
That helped the fight against the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area north of Los Angeles, allowing helicopters to drop water, which kept it from growing, fire spokesperson Jeremy Ruiz said. There were no reports of homes or other structures burned. As Amara was packing the car, she learned the fire had exploded in size and decided to hose down the property. The two fires have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14, structures since they broke out Jan. Rain was expected to start Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials welcomed the wet weather, but crews also were shoring up hillsides and installing barriers to prevent debris flows as residents returned to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. On the heels of that assessment, California Republicans are pushing back against suggestions by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and others that federal disaster aid for victims of wildfires should come with strings attached.
