Los Angeles: Over 50,000 people are under evacuation orders or warnings on Wednesday in California’s Los Angeles after a fresh blaze swept through rugged mountains in the area. Meanwhile, other two major wildfires –Palisades and Eaton — which wreaked havoc in Los Angeles earlier this month are still smouldering, reported The Associated Press.
The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning. It reportedly charred more than 39 square km area. Due to this wildfire, plumes of dark smoke could be seen near Lake Castaic. Notably, the lake is around 64 km from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires.
Destruction Caused By Hughes Fire:
Over 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said as reported by the global news agency.
As per LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, the fire remains difficult to contain but firefighters are working hard and are getting upper hand. A 48 km stretch of Interstate 5 was closed. Meanwhile, crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft are trying their best to prevent the Hughes fire from spreading to Castaic lake.
Aircraft Involved In Firefighting Operations To Douse Off The Hughes Blaze:
Strong winds are expected to make things worse. As per, the National Weather Service, winds in the area were gusting at 67 kph in the afternoon but were expected to increase to 96 kph by later in the evening and Thursday. Meanwhile, precipitation is likely to begin from Saturday.
In the wake of the Hughes Fire, Robert Jensen from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged people to follow evacuation orders. “We’ve seen the devastation caused by people failing to follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires,” Jensen said as reported by The Times Of India. “I don’t want to see that here in our community as well. If you’ve been issued an evacuation order, please get out,” he added.
Aerial Visuals Of Area Affected By The Hughes Fire:
Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were issued in LA and Ventura counties on Friday. There is a risk that the Palisades and Eaton fires could break their containment lines. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned that winds could carry ash. Bas advised people 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 also warned locals about harmful heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials.in the ash being carried from fire affected areas.
Notably, at least 28 people were reportedly killed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, and destroyed almost 14,000 structures. These wildfires broke out on January 7
