Fire map: Fast-moving Hughes Fire prompts evacuation orders, warnings

LOS ANGELES - Crews continue the fight against awildfire near Castaic Lake just north of Santa Clarita on Wednesday. 

The fire broke out at about 11 a.m. in the area of Lake Hughes Road near the 5 Freeway and Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. 

Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest are battling the blaze, which is burning in heavy fuels, creating the potential for "a rapid rate of spread," officials said.

RELATED: California Fires Updates: Wednesday, Jan. 22

Hughes Fire map

Evacuation orders and warnings issued because of the Hughes Fire as of 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 (Credit: Cal Fire) (Cal Fire)

Acres burned: 20,176 acres

Containment: 14%

A 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 Jan. 22, 2025. (Photo by Apu GOMES / AFP) (Photo by APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Imag

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As of Thursday morning, no structures had been damaged or destroyed. 

According to officials, 4,000 fire personnel were assisting with the fire, and more than 54,000 people were under evacuation orders and warnings.

Evacuation orders and warnings

More than 50,000 residents were under an evacuation order or warning, but fire officials said a rapid ground and air assault was giving them a fighting chance. 

More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Winds in the area were gusting at 42 mph (67 kph) in the afternoon but were expected to increase to 60 mph (96 kph) by later in the evening and Thursday, the National Weather Service said on the social platform X.

For detailed evacuation information, click here. 

Ventura County evacuation orders and warnings

Evacuation orders have been issued for the areas west of Lake Piru. 

5 Freeway impacted

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames.

The 5 in both directions at Grapvine Road and State Route 126 were closed but will be reopened, officials said at a news conference on Wednesday evening. 

What they're saying:

"Currently, obviously, it's a fast-moving fire and it is very, very, very dry out there," Dana Dierkes, fire information officer with the Angeles National Forest, said. "Winds make fire more challenging. Those are definitely factors that our firefighters are working with at this time."

"Winds can turn on a dime," said Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda said. Mirada cautioned residents to stay vigilant as the evacuation zones continue to grow.  

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the Hughes Fire was being driven primarily by the weather. He said the "situation remains dynamic, and the fire remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand." 

For more updates on the Santa Clarita area, click here. 

"We have issued several evacuation orders and several evacuation warnings. If you receive that Los Angeles County alert, they are accurate," Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept. Deputy Robert Jensen said. During the onset of the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires earlier this month, many Los Angeles County residents received alerts on their phones in error due to a technical glitch.