New Wildfire Erupts in Los Angeles County, Prompting Massive Evacuations | Update on Hughes Fire Situation

Officials said the blaze was different from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed at least 28 people and decimated more than 10,000 homes and businesses earlier this month.

Chief Marrone said they were benefiting from lower winds – unlike the 70-90mph winds seen during the previous fires – and having so many helicopters and planes able to fight the blaze from above.

“I think that we’ve all been on edge over the last 16 days,” he said. “We were able to amass a lot of fire resources early on to change what this fire looks like.”

Ed Fletcher, who works for Cal Fire, told the BBC the area was not highly populated and current winds were blowing the fire toward Castaic Lake, which was acting as a buffer for the Castaic area – home to about 20,000 residents.

But “if it jumps the lake, it becomes a much more dynamic situation”, he said.

One woman who fled her home told NBC 4 that she was stuck on Interstate 5, California’s primary transportation highway that runs through the state. Parts of the interstate in the area had been closed because of the fire.

“It looked like a cloud, but as you got close, it looked like we were driving into hell,” she said of the dark smoke and red flames she saw. “It was pretty terrifying.”

She acknowledged being on edge after watching the Palisades and Eaton fires burn nearby. “I don’t know why they keep popping up,” she said. “It’s definitely a scary time in this area.”

Two other fires ignited Wednesday further south, near San Diego and Oceanside. The Lilac fire was declared fully contained after burning 85 acres. Like the separate Center fire, which has covered four acres, it burned in populated areas. Evacuation orders have now been mostly lifted.

Dana Dierkes, a spokesperson for the Angeles National Forest, noted the winds and dry brush had made these recent fires much harder to fight.

“We don’t have a fire season in California. We have a fire year,” she said. “We’ve had wildfires in January before, but it’s exacerbated by the Santa Ana winds. The wind is a huge factor when we’ve had such a dry year.”

Rain is in the weekend forecast in the region, a welcome bit of news to douse the fire threat. But the anticipated rainfall is bringing new fears in the form of mudslides, flooding and landslides.

Areas touched by the recent fires are particularly at risk, because torched grounds are less absorbent.

State Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Monday to help free up resources for flood and landslide preparation after the fires.

Crews have been filling thousands of sandbags for danger areas. (BBC News)