SAN DIEGO − Firefighters on Thursday battled a fast-moving blaze in northern Los Angeles County that closed schools and forced thousands to flee their homes and two new fires near San Diego amid relentless Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions that have kept Southern California on high alert for over two weeks.
At one point, evacuation orders and warnings were issued Thursday afternoon for residents around La Jolla, about 12 miles northwest of San Diego, as the Gilman Fire threatened the wealthy coastside community. But the orders were lifted a few hours later. The blaze had only burned two acres as of 3:46 p.m. PT, according to Cal Fire.
Farther southeast, firefighters also responded to a brush fire in the Otay Wilderness Area, not far from the border with Mexico. The Border Fire had a “dangerous rate” of spread and had charred 228 acres with zero containment, according to Cal Fire’s 4:41 p.m. PT update.
On Wednesday, the Hughes Fire erupted Wednesday near Castaic Lake, a reservoir roughly 45 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The fire rapidly consumed over 10,000 acres as authorities warned of an “immediate threat to life.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that more than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings. But Thursday morning, the evacuation instructions for dozens of LA County zones were lifted or downgraded as residents were allowed back home. In Ventura County, the warnings were removed in all zones.
Fire officials also said containment of the blaze had increased from 14% earlier in the day to 24% around noon PT while the burnt acreage remained steady at 10,176.
Another brush fire broke out late Wednesday along the eastern side of Interstate 405 near Bel Air and the University of California-Los Angeles. The blaze, dubbed the Sepulveda Fire, initially prompted evacuation warnings, but those have been lifted as firefighters contained its spread to about 40 acres. The Los Angeles Fire Department said no structures were damaged in the blaze and that firefighters were working overnight to “fully extinguish the fire and any hot spots.”
Over 1,100 firefighters had been “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address the “ongoing critical fire weather,” according to Cal Fire. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said more than 4,000 firefighters were battling the Hughes Fire. Red flag warnings are in effect through Friday.
A series of wildfires have broken out since Jan. 7 amid ongoing high winds, low humidity and drought conditions. Fire crews across the region have quickly worked to extinguish smaller brush fires while making progress on the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures and have killed at least 28 people, Cal Fire said. They’re now 75% and 95% contained, respectively.