Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone updated CNN= with details and advice for nearby residents amid the swiftly growing blaze dubbed the Hughes Fire burning near the town of Castaic, California.

More than a thousand structures have been destroyed and lives lost as wildfires sweep across parts of Los Angeles.

LA Wildfires

A new wildfire, named the Hughes Fire, has erupted near Castaic in California, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone. The blaze has rapidly expanded to an estimated 5,054 acres and is currently zero percent contained. High winds reaching speeds of 35 miles per hour present significant challenges for firefighters attempting to control the fire's perimeter and protect local residents.

Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for the affected areas, with authorities urging residents to stay connected via mobile devices for the latest updates. Sheriff's deputies are actively notifying residents in evacuation zones, both through public announcements and door-to-door notifications. Residents are advised to stay informed by following local media and the Los Angeles County website.

The cause of the Hughes Fire is still under investigation, with the U.S. Forest Service taking the lead. It has been reported that the fire scene is being treated as a potential crime scene. Strong winds and ongoing drought conditions, due to a lack of significant rainfall since April of the previous year, are contributing to the fire's erratic behavior.

Despite the challenging conditions, Marrone indicated that sufficient resources, including assistance from international partners Mexico, Canada, and Israel, are available to combat the blaze. The fire department is hopeful that forecasted rain might aid in controlling the fire, although containment remains the primary goal in the coming days.



New fire breaks out in California, grows in size

So currently, the fire is estimated to be five thousand fifty four acres. We have zero percent containment. We're obviously battling these red flag winds, 35 miles an hour with even higher. We're concentrating on evacuation orders and evacuation warnings. We don't want any more people in Southern California to lose their life due to fire. So we're trying to get people out of harm's way. But this fire is growing. It doesn't look like we're going to be able to contain it anytime soon. And we're just doing our very best for perimeter control and evacuation for residents in the affected areas. What is your guidance right now? Would be to have your mobile devices on. Do not silence the evacuation warnings. They can go to the local media. They can also go to the L.A. County website to see where the evacuation orders are. But they should be receiving alerts. We also have sheriff's deputies that are driving through neighborhoods that are under evacuation order, using their P.A. to notify people up to and including door knocks. Do you know anything yet about how this fire started? I realize the question might be premature, but we were told it's being investigated as a crime scene. Yes, you know, we were advised the fire started at ten forty two units of L.A. County fire, along with other state and federal resources responded. We have a lot of fire equipment in Southern California, in the Los Angeles County area. We do not know the cause or origin of the fire. But the U.S. Forest Service, the Angeles National Forest, where the fire started, will be tasked with investigating that. Are you concerned? I'm sure you're concerned. But is this fire spreading particularly fast? This must be very worrisome. Oh, yeah. No, we're always concerned. I'm not I'm not going to feel good about this fire until we have 100 percent containment. We've had multiple fires in L.A. County over the last 16 days, you know, starting on January 7th. This is not common. It's January. But we do have some forecasted light to moderate rain for Saturday through Monday. We're just going to see if that rain comes to fruition. Do you have the resources you need at this time to put out this fire? Yes, we do. You know, we've had a lot of resources move into L.A. County, a lot of engine companies, a lot of camp crews. You talked about the international resources that came to our aid from Mexico, Canada and Israel. It's not for a lack of resources. It's very erratic fire behavior driven by strong winds. And we haven't had any appreciable rain since April of twenty four. So we're in a drought condition.

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