Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to flee an area north of Los Angeles on Wednesday after a fast-moving wildfire exploded, growing to more than 5,000 acres in a few hours, officials said.
Another 15,000 people were under evacuation warnings after the Hughes Fire erupted at 10:53 a.m. Wednesday near the community of Castaic in northern Los Angeles County, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.
The blaze had scorched more than 5,054 acres three hours later, according to fire officials.
The fire ignited weeks after two nearby blazes left at least 27 people dead and engulfed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area earlier this month.
As of 1:33 p.m., the blaze had no containment, according to a statement from the Angeles National Forest.
The northbound lanes in a section of Interstate 5, a highway that stretches across California, Oregon and Washington State, was closed, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. The National Weather Service warned Tuesday of a return of critical fire conditions, with powerful winds and severely dry conditions expected through Friday morning. It cautioned that gusts of up to 55 mph could be expected.
Experts have pointed to the link between climate change and the conditions that make fires like those that have roared across Los Angeles in recent weeks more likely.
Images broadcast by NBC Los Angeles showed massive plumes of smoke soaring above the region and giant flames scorching what appeared to be a ridge line.
Video from the station showed residents who had refused evacuation orders hosing down their homes and sealing exterior events to block embers.
In an interview with the station, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger pleaded with people to heed the orders. She said she was concerned officials may have to ground firefighting aircraft if winds pick up.
“I’m knocking on wood we contain this and it doesn’t affect any homes,” she said.
Barger described Castaic, a community of roughly 18,000 people, as home to many first responders and their families.
The nearby Eaton Fire, which ignited Jan. 7 and devastated the community of Altadena, had burned more than 14,000 acres and was 91 percent contained as of Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire.
The Palisades Fire was sparked hours earlier in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The blaze had scorched more than 23,000 acres and was 68 percent contained, according to CalFire.