Evacuations were ordered Wednesday for remote communities near a new, fast-moving wildfire in the mountains north of Los Angeles, as Southern California suffered another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.
The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and quickly destroyed about nine square kilometers of trees and brush, sending up a huge plume of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, about 64 kilometers north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires burning for a third week. .
Slopes were closed along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, with flames rising along hilltops and into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames.
Meanwhile, in the south, Los Angeles officials were bracing for possible rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred areas of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The stormy weather is expected to continue until Thursday.
“We’re going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California,” Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Wednesday morning. “At this point, it feels like a broken record.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to accelerate cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of contaminants associated with the fires. Crews were ordered to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides and reinforce roads ahead of possible rain.
Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency proposal to install flood control infrastructure and accelerate sediment removal in fire-affected areas.
“As the fires stabilize, there are new challenges ahead,” Supervisor Katherine Barger said during a news conference on Wednesday. “Rain is forecast and the threat of mud and debris flows into our fire-affected communities is real.”
About 60 to 80 percent of precipitation is expected in Southern California starting Saturday, and most areas will likely receive no more than about an inch of rain, according to Ryan Kittle, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Los Angeles office. It can reach about an inch in local thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough fell on scorched slopes.
“But even if it doesn’t rain this time, it could be good training for those communities because this is going to be a threat that they’re going to have to deal with for months or years,” Kettle said Tuesday.
Fire crews are filling sandbags for communities while county workers install barricades and remove sewer pipes and drains.
In 2018, the city of Montecito, about 130 kilometers up the coast from Los Angeles, was hit by mudslides after heavy rains rained down on mountain slopes that were burned to the ground by a massive forest fire. 23 people were killed, and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Red flag warnings for dangerous fire risks have been extended until 8pm Thursday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. David Acuna, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said officials remain concerned that the two large fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break containment lines as firefighters continue to monitor hot spots.
Fire trucks and water-dropping planes stationed at strategic locations allowed crews to quickly extinguish several small fires that appeared in Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency tools, be aware of fires and report them quickly.
Many Los Angeles residents are now waiting to return to what remains of their homes. But even for those whose homes were spared, health concerns related to smoke and ash will remain.
Bass also warned that winds can carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during a recent wind event in Santa Ana. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful substances.
“Even brief exposure can cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning.
Low humidity, dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have claimed at least 28 lives and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out on Jan. 7. 68 percent, and the Eaton fire was 91 percent.
More than a week into the wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, frustration is growing among tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders. Officials told them it could be at least another week before they would be allowed to inspect their homes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 reports of missing people in the two fire areas. He added that all the missing are adults.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, 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 that Southern California Edison equipment started the fire. On Tuesday, the judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the company to submit data from departments in the area where the fire started.
US President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inauguration speech on Monday, said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Barger said on Wednesday that details of Trump’s visit were still being worked out.
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