Firefighters battle a massive blaze near Los Angeles as winds pick up

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving blaze in southern California that has spread over the past day, with authorities warning that Thursday is the “most concerning period.”

The Hughes Fire, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, has spread to more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares), forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate an area already reeling from the blazes. The most cruel in history.

Forecasters warned that strong winds were expected to pose an even greater challenge to firefighters, who have so far contained 14% of the fire’s perimeter.

The fire lies north of two ongoing massive fires that have killed at least 28 people and destroyed several neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

The National Weather Service has extended a red flag warning through Friday morning for most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as winds whip through the area.

“Dangerous bushfire weather conditions will persist into Friday as fuels remain extremely dry and ready to burn, with Thursday the period of greatest concern,” an advisory said. “Any fire that breaks out can grow quickly and get out of control. Have a plan, especially if you are in a high fire risk area.”

More than 31,000 people were evacuated Wednesday as the fire spread huge flames and plumes of smoke across mountainous terrain in the Castaic Lake area bordering several residential areas and schools.

Local news showed people near the Hughes fire watering their homes and gardens and others rushing to evacuate.

Winds in the area are blowing at about 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h), but could increase, which would add to the fire and make it harder for crews to operate.

Climate change has made the grasses and shrubs that are fueling the Los Angeles fires more susceptible to fire, scientists say.

The rapid “whiplash” changes between dry and wet conditions in the region in recent years have created large amounts of desiccated vegetation ready to ignite.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said nearly 500 inmates at a local jail were evacuated.

Officials said the fire is different from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and businesses earlier this month.

Although dry conditions will continue for the next few days, fire-ravaged areas will get some respite.

Widespread rain is forecast for southwestern California starting Saturday afternoon and lasting through Monday evening. In general, rainfall amounts will be up to half an inch, although the San Gabriel Mountains will see better rainfall with up to 1.5 inches (4cm).

It is possible that thunderstorms could also cause localized heavy rain in some areas over the weekend. Several inches of snow are also possible at elevations above 4,000ft (1,200m).

Expected rainfall from Saturday is bringing new concerns in the form of landslides, flooding and mudslides. Areas affected by recent fires are especially at risk because burned soil has less absorptive capacity.

Have you been evacuated due to a fire? Get in touch if doing so is safe.

Two other fires broke out Wednesday farther south, near San Diego and Oceanside. The Lilac Fire was declared fully contained after burning 85 acres. Like the separate Central fire, which covered four acres of land, it burned residential areas. The evacuation order has now almost been lifted.

Dana Dierkes, a spokeswoman for the Angeles National Forest, noted that wind and dry brush have made recent fires much more difficult to fight.

“We don’t have a wildfire season in California,” she said. We had a bushfire year.” “We’ve had wildfires in January before, but they’ve been exacerbated by the Santa Ana winds. Wind is a huge factor when we’ve had such a dry year.”

Samantha Granville contributed to this report.