New Los Angeles fire forces thousands people to evacuate

A new wildfire broke out in north of Los Angeles forcing 31,000 people to evacuate on Wednesday.

The Hughes Fire ignited Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake and rapidly spread to more than 9,400 acres (38 square km), fuelled by strong winds and dry brush, according to fire officials.

In just a few hours on Wednesday the new fire grew to two-thirds the size of the Eaton Fire, one of the two monster conflagrations that have ravaged the Los Angeles area.

The blaze, which currently has no containment, is burning in a mountainous area bordering residential neighborhoods and schools.

Strong winds, gusting between 20 and 30 mph and expected to strengthen, are fueling the fire’s rapid spread and hindering firefighting efforts.

Some 31,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders and another 23,000 face evacuation warnings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told a press conference.

As many as 1,100 firefighters were deployed around Southern California in anticipation of fast-moving fires, meanwhile, over 4,000 firefighters were working on the Hughes Fire, said LA Country Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

Southern California has gone without significant rain for nine months, contributing to hazardous conditions, but some rain was forecast from Saturday through Monday.