Hughes Fire continues to rage outside Los Angeles as Sepulveda Fire erupts near busy 405 Freeway
The Hughes Fire exploded to life late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County and was estimated to be 10,176 acres with 14% containment as of Thursday morning
Wildfire danger persists in Southern California as new blazes ignite
Dangerous wildfire conditions persist across portions of Southern California as crews continue to beat back the flames from new blazes that ignited on Wednesday. FOX News Chief Correspondent Jonathan Hunt was in Castaic, California, on Thursday morning with the latest.
Fast Facts:
- Fires continue to rage across Southern California with Hughes Fire exploding to more than 10,000 acres in hours.
- Critical fire conditions persist across the region with Fire Weather Warnings in effect through Friday.
- Beneficial rain is on the way but could trigger mudslides in burn scar areas.
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.
Watch: Sepulveda Fire burns along 405 Freeway in Los Angeles
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 remained on the scene through Wednesday night to monitor the area, and traffic on the 405 Freeway was impacted as crews worked alongside the freeway.
Hughes Fire triggers evacuation warnings
Inferno from Hughes Fire consumes hills in Los Angeles County
Video captured of the Hughes Fire captured by Bernard Deyo shows the rapidly spreading fire and wildfire smoke near Castaic Lake.
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.
![This image shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County.]()
Image 1 of 18This image shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 2 of 18A 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)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 3 of 18Emergency 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. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 4 of 18A 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)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 5 of 18Castaic, 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)
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Image 6 of 18Smoke from the Hughes Fire seen from Santa Clarita, California, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 7 of 18A 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. ( )
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 8 of 18VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns behind the skyline of Six Flags Magic Mountain on January 22, 2025 in Valencia, California. (Brandon Bell)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 9 of 18A 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)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 10 of 18A 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)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 11 of 18A 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)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 12 of 18CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 13 of 18CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 14 of 18CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 15 of 18CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama)
![Rapidly Growing Hughes Fire North Of Los Angeles]()
Image 16 of 18CASTAIC, 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) (Mario Tama)
![Hughes Fire as seen from Whitaker Ridge.]()
Image 17 of 18Hughes Fire as seen from Whitaker Ridge. (@VCFD_PIO / X)
![Smoke from Hughes Fire.]()
Image 18 of 18Smoke from Hughes Fire. (@CaltransDist7 / X)
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 in Ventura County said some evacuation orders had been downgraded to evacuation warnings, while many other evacuation warnings had been lifted.
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.
This image shows the Hughes Fire burning near the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, California.
(LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment/Facebook / FOX Weather)
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it was ready to keep inmates safe at the Pitchess Detention Center as the Hughes Fire raged nearby. In a Facebook post, the sheriff's department said they had several vehicles on standby should they be needed for inmate evacuations.
"We are working closely with Los Angeles County Fire to ensure the employees, and incarcerated population on the property remain safe," officials said.
Sheriff's department officials told FOX Weather that as of Wednesday afternoon, 476 inmates had been transferred from the South Facility to the North County Correctional Facility, which sits on the same jail campus.
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 Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said that I-5 North and South were reopened as fire crews worked to keep the flames from threatening the freeway.
"Before traveling through Grapevine, check to ensure all lanes are still open," CHP warned. "Be informed, be prepared!"
Firefighters Attack Hughes Fire In Southern California
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.
VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns behind the skyline of Six Flags Magic Mountain on January 22, 2025 in Valencia, California.
(Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
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 Fire Weather Warnings in effect in Southern California.
(FOX Weather)
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said dangerous fire weather conditions will persist across the region through Friday, and Fire Weather Warnings have been issued as a result.
Forecasters say fuels remain extremely dry and "ready to burn" with Thursday being the period of greatest concern.
Peak wind gusts of 30-55 mph will be common over much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with locally higher gusts of 50-65 mph in the mountains.
Low relative humidity will also persist with minimums under 10% over much of the area.
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.