Evacuations were ordered Wednesday for remote communities near a new, rapidly spreading wildfire in the mountains north of Los Angeles, as Southern California received another wave of dangerous winds over the weekend ahead of possible rainfall.
The Hughes fire broke out in the late morning and quickly tore through about nine square kilometers of trees and brush, creating a huge cloud of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, about 40 miles north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that have been burning for a third week.
On-ramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames spread along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft were attacked by wind-driven flames.
Meanwhile, to the south, Los Angeles officials braced for potential rainfall, even as some residents were allowed to return to charred areas of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The gusty weather was expected to continue into Thursday.
“We will see another series of critical wildfires in Southern California,” Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Wednesday morning. “It sounds like a broken record at this point.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order aimed at speeding up cleanup efforts in fire-affected areas and mitigating the environmental impact of pollutants from the fires. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, protect slopes and strengthen roads against possible rainfall.
Los Angeles County officials also approved an emergency request to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment from fire-affected areas.
“We face new challenges now that the fires have subsided,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Wednesday. “Rain is forecast and the threat of mud and debris flowing into fire-affected communities is real.”
According to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the weather service's Los Angeles office, southern California has a 60-80 percent chance of light rain starting Saturday, with most areas receiving no more than about an inch of rain. up to about 2.5 centimeters could fall from local storms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough rain fell on the burned slopes.
“But even if it doesn't rain this time, it may be good practice for these communities because it will be a hazard they will have to deal with for months or even years,” Kittell said Tuesday.
Fire crews filled sandbags for the community while district workers installed barriers and unclogging pipes and drainage basins.
In 2018, Montecito, a city about 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles, was devastated by mudslides after a heavy downpour hit the mountainside, which burned to the ground in a massive wildfire. Twenty-three people died and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Red Flag warnings for critical fire risk have been extended through 8 p.m. Thursday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Officials remained concerned that two major fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could breach containment lines as firefighters continued to look for hot spots, said David Acuna, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Strategically placed fire trucks and water-dropping aircraft allowed crews to quickly extinguish several small fires that broke out in Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits, watch for fires and report them quickly.
Many Los Angeles residents are now waiting to return to what's left of their homes. But even for those whose homes were spared, health problems related to smoke and ash will persist.
Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city's website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during Santa Ana's latest wind event. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned that the ash may contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful substances.
“Even brief exposures can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective equipment during cleanup.
Low humidity, dry vegetation and high winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out on Jan. 7. 68 percent and Eaton Fire 91 percent.
More than a week into the Los Angeles wildfire crisis, frustration has mounted for tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders. Officials tell them it could be at least another week before they can check what's happening in their homes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department is still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All people reported missing are adults, he added.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the cause of the fires but has not released any findings.
People who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire have filed several lawsuits alleging that the fire was caused by Southern California Edison equipment. On Tuesday, the judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the company to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire broke out.
US President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the fires in Monday's inaugural speech, said he would travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Barger said Wednesday that details of Trump's visit were still being finalized.