Two new wildfires that erupted in Southern California are spreading quickly over dry hillsides and forcing evacuations, stoking new fears in a region that’s been devastated by recent deadly blazes.
The Hughes Fire, which began Wednesday and grew within hours to engulf more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares), continues to rage north of Los Angeles, authorities said. The Sepulveda Fire started early Thursday west of the city near the Getty Center art museum and has burned 40 acres.
Dry winds of up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour will batter Los Angeles and Ventura counties Thursday, fanning the flames, the US Storm Prediction Center said. Gusts could reach 70 mph. Winds may ease slightly Friday, then the region could catch a break Saturday night as rain and possibly thunderstorms arrive.
“They do need the rain,” said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. “For a lot of these areas, it is going to be the first rain they have had for a while.”
Firefighters have contained about 14% of the Hughes Fire’s perimeter, using fire breaks or other barriers to prevent flames from spreading, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Authorities told about 50,000 people to evacuate, including 476 inmates at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic.
Firefighters have not managed to contain the Sepulveda Fire, along the east side of Interstate 405, at all yet.
The new fires come weeks after other blazes killed 28 people, displaced thousands and destroyed nearly 15,000 buildings — most of them homes. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which caused the bulk of the destruction, are still burning but are now more controlled.
Shares of California utilities Edison International and PG&E Corp., which in the past have been found liable for sparking wildfires, fell Wednesday as the Hughes Fire spread.
Edison declined 6.3%. PG&E dropped 5%. A spokesperson for Edison said the utility is investigating. It cut power to about 2,300 homes and businesses in LA and Ventura counties to prevent live wires from blowing over in the high winds and sparking any new fires.
Nearly 40,000 homes and businesses were without power across California at 4:30 a.m. local time, according to PowerOutage.us.
The Hughes Fire briefly prompted authorities to close a section of Interstate 5, but the route reopened Wednesday evening. About 45 miles away, a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway — a major north-south artery into and out of LA — remains shut as authorities continue work to contain and clean up the Palisades Fire.
Top photo: Firefighters observe from a firetruck on Charlie Canyon Road during the Hughes Fire in Castaic, California, on Jan. 22.
Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.
Topics
Catastrophe
Natural Disasters
California
Wildfire
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