New fast-growing blaze erupts near Los Angeles

A new wildfire has broken out in Los Angeles County, prompting evacuations in an area already hit by one of the deadliest wildfires in its history.

The Hughes Fire burned north of the city Wednesday afternoon, near Castaic Lake in a mountainous area that runs through several residential areas and schools.

The wildfire has grown to more than 5,000 acres in just two hours due to strong winds. No homes or businesses were damaged.

A new fire is burning north of the two wildfires — which are still burning — that ravaged several areas of Los Angeles County earlier this month.

Another fire has burned south near San Diego and Oceanside, officials said.

Both are small — 85 acres for the Lilac fire near Oceanside and 3.9 acres for the Bernardo fire — but they burn in residential areas. Firefighters appeared to have a handle on the entire fire and evacuation orders had been raised and progress was halted.

In Los Angeles County, local news showed those near the Hughes fire flooding their homes and yards with water and others rushing to evacuate their neighborhoods.

Flames surrounded the mountains like The plane dropped water and fire retardant.

The area is also under a red flag warning, which warns of high fire danger due to strong winds and dry, low-lying conditions.

Winds in the area are blowing around 20 to 30 mph but are expected to strengthen throughout the day, which could allow the fire to grow and make it difficult for pilots to continue their battle from above.

Ed Fletcher, who works for Cal Fire – the firefighting agency of the state of California, told the BBC that this fire is different from the one that started this month. The winds were not very strong, he said, and there are many workers trying to contain the flames.

“It’s very dry and we know it’s going to be a storm later,” he said. “We’ll know more in a few hours.”

Mr. Fletcher noted that the area is sparsely populated and current winds are fueling the fire at Castaic Lake, which acts as a buffer in the middle of the Castaic community, home to about 20,000 people.

“When it jumps into the ocean,” he said, “it becomes a very powerful state.”

One woman who was evacuated from her home told NBC 4 she was stuck on Interstate 5, California’s interstate highway. Parts of the central area were closed due to the fire.

“It looked like a cloud, but as you got closer, it looked like we were pushing into hell,” he said of the black smoke and red flames he saw. “It was scary to be honest with you.”

He admitted that he almost saw the Palisades and Eaton fires burn nearby, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses.

“I don’t know why they keep going,” he said. “It’s a dangerous time for the region.”