By David Swanson and Brendan O'Brien
Fire trucks and public security vehicles are seen in the foreground as red glowing flames and smoke rise from the Hughes Fire in Castaic in northwest Los Angeles County, California. Photo: AFP
Powerful winds and bone-dry conditions could pose a challenge to firefighters battling new wildfires in southern California, including a blaze that swelled over the past day and forced tens of thousands of evacuations north of Los Angeles.
The Hughes fire, about 80km north of Los Angeles, grew to 4118 hectares since igniting on Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said on its website.
The 4000 firefighters battling the blaze have achieved 14 percent containment, a measure of the percentage of a fire's perimeter brought under control, Cal Fire added.
Crews fighting the Hughes Fire and two other massive Los Angeles blazes - Palisades and Eaton - were expected to be tested by strong Santa Ana winds of up to 80km/h with gusts reaching 104km/h and humidity levels dropping below 10 percent into Friday, forecasters said.
"Dangerous fire weather conditions will persist through Friday as fuels remain extremely dry and ready to burn, with Thursday the period of greatest concern," the National Weather Service said in an advisory. "Any fire that starts can grow fast and out of control."
About 31,000 people were evacuated on Wednesday as the fire sent huge flames and plumes of smoke over a hilly terrain in the Castaic Lake area near Santa Clarita.
The Eaton and Palisades fires, which levelled entire neighbourhoods on the eastern and western flanks of Los Angeles, have killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures over the past two weeks.
Helicopters battling the Hughes Fire scooped water out of a lake to drop on the fire while planes dropped fire retardant on the hills, video on KTLA television showed. Flames spread to the water's edge.
Eyewitness video showed the skies north of Los Angeles tinted orange on Wednesday afternoon as the Hughes Fire expanded rapidly.
A smaller blaze, the Sepulveda Fire, was burning along the 405 freeway near the Getty Museum - home to numerous art treasures - in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday. The brush fire, which was 16 hectares and 0 percent contained, briefly caused part of the heavily travelled highway to be closed and some nearby residents to be evacuated overnight.
Southern California has gone without significant rain for nine months, contributing to hazardous conditions, but some rain was forecast from Saturday through Monday, possibly giving firefighters much-needed relief.
The rain could cause mudslides, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned during a news conference on Wednesday, saying that the city was taking "aggressive action" by installing barriers, removing fire debris and diverting stormwater.
As of Thursday morning, the Eaton Fire that scorched about 5670 hectares east of Los Angeles was 95 percent contained, while the larger Palisades Fire, which has consumed about 9490 hectares on the west side of Los Angeles, stood at 70 percent contained, Cal Fire said.
US President Donald Trump, who has sharply criticized California's response to the wildfires, is expected to visit the area and survey the damage on Friday. During an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said he may shut off federal funding if the state does not alter its water management.
"I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow," Trump said during the interview at the White House, a day after he issued an executive order to increase the availability of water in California.
Trump says California conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry around Los Angeles, an assertion that Governor Gavin Newsom has dismissed.
- Reuters
