Hughes Fire rages outside Los Angeles as new wildfire erupts near 405 Freeway
Firefighters in Southern California are working to contain and extinguish two new wildfires that ignited Wednesday – the Hughes Fire and the Sepulveda Fire. And as that work continues, the region is bracing for beneficial rain that should help the battle against the flames. FOX Weather Meteorologists Britta Merwin and Craig Herera have more.
LOS ANGELES – Firefighters in Southern California conducted another fierce wildfire fight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning. Crews raced to contain the massive Hughes Fire in Los Angeles County while another blaze broke out near a busy freeway, impacting travel in the region.
Officials with CAL FIRE said the Sepulveda Fire broke out near the heavily traveled 405 Freeway in the area of North Sepulveda Boulevard and Getty Center Drive near Sherman Oaks.
Dramatic video provided by FOX 11 Los Angeles shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway near Sherman Oaks.
Crews on the ground and in the air worked tirelessly to get that fire under control. A few hours later, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) announced that all forward progress on the Sepulveda Fire had been stopped, and all evacuation warnings had been lifted.
No evacuation orders were announced, but some areas that had been placed under an evacuation warning had previously been impacted by the still-burning Palisades Fire.
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This image shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County.
(FOX 11 Los Angeles / FOX Weather)
The LAFD said no structures had been damaged, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters were expected to remain on the scene through Wednesday night to monitor the area, and traffic on the 405 Freeway was likely to be impacted as crews worked alongside the freeway.
Hughes Fire triggers evacuation warnings
Crews are working to contain and extinguish the Hughes Fire in Southern California as residents were told to flee their homes. FOX News’ Ted Lindner has the latest.
Firefighters were already hard at work trying to contain and extinguish the rapidly spreading Hughes Fire before the Sepulveda Fire broke out amid gusty Santa Ana winds that were continuing to plague Southern California.
The Hughes Fire exploded in size on Wednesday near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County, swelling to more than 10,000 acres by early Thursday morning. At one point, while the inferno was raging on Wednesday, it was estimated that more than 30 acres were being consumed by flames every minute.
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This image shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County.
(FOX 11 Los Angeles) -
A firefighter truck backs up from flames of smoke from the new Hughes Fire at the Lake Hughes Road in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025.
(Apu GOMES / AFP) -
Emergency vehicles are on the side of the road as flames from the Hughes Fire race up the hill in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025.
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A sheriff takes photos as flames from the Hughes Fire race up the hill in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025.
(FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP) -
Castaic, CA – January 22:Tankers drop Phos-Chek on the front edge of the Hughes fire in Castaic, CA on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
(David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News) -
Smoke from the Hughes Fire seen from Santa Clarita, California, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen above the hills from the Magic Mountain exit of Interstate 5 freeway in Valencia, California, on January 22, 2025.
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VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns behind the skyline of Six Flags Magic Mountain on January 22, 2025 in Valencia, California.
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025.
(Robyn Beck / AFP) -
A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025.
(Robyn Beck / AFP) -
A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025.
(Robyn Beck / AFP) -
CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California.
(Robyn Beck / AFP) -
CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California.
(Mario Tama) -
CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California.
(Mario Tama) -
CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California.
(Mario Tama) -
CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. The wildfire is prompting mandatory evacuations just over two weeks after the Eaton and Palisades Fires caused massive destruction across Los Angeles County. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Hughes Fire as seen from Whitaker Ridge.
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Smoke from Hughes Fire.
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More than 50,000 residents across the region were placed on alert, with several schools being located within the evacuation zone surrounding the fire. Officials said students at North Lake Elementary School were evacuated to the Castaic Sports Complex, while all students at Castaic Middle School and Castaic Elementary School were evacuated to a location within Hasley Canyon.
Several major roadways that connect the Bakersfield area to the Los Angeles metro were temporarily shut down, including the busy Interstate 5 through the “Grapevine.”
On Wednesday night, California Highway Patrol said Interstate 5 northbound had been reopened, but several closures would remain in place.
The Hughes Fire exploded to life Wednesday near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County. More than 9,000 acres were consumed but no structures were damaged during the initial hours.
Aerial video showed flames approaching I-5 near Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, as winds pushed the blaze towards the south and west.
The area is well known for being home to Six Flags Magic Mountain, but the park appeared to be well outside of the initial fire zone.
Rain on the way but comes with risks
This graphic shows rain and mountain snow on the way to California this weekend.
(FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said an upper-level disturbance will likely swing into the region from the Pacific Ocean this weekend, bringing the first widespread rain in months.
The rain and mountain snow will begin on Saturday and peak in coverage on Sunday before winding down on Monday.
About a half-inch of rain may fall in the lower elevations, and multiple inches of snow is expected above 4,000 feet.
In the short term, the rain will benefit firefighters who are still battling wildfires in the Los Angeles area, but much more rain is needed.
And the rain, while beneficial, does present risks.
This image explains burn scars.
(FOX Weather)
There is a risk of mudslides within burn-scar areas in Southern California, and officials warned that charred hillsides are in danger of giving way even if there isn’t rain.
The burned landscape, littered with broken water mains, and the influx of water from firefighting efforts have destabilized hillsides in the region.
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