Firefighters in Southern California have made significant progress containing the Hughes fire, which erupted in the mountains north of Los Angeles, while new wildfires broke out in other areas of the state.
Evacuation orders were lifted for tens of thousands of residents after crews slowed the rapid spread of the Hughes fire near Lake Castaic. The blaze began late Wednesday morning and burned over 40 square kilometers of trees and brush within hours. By Thursday, firefighters had contained roughly one-third of the fire. Helicopters worked into the early hours to drop water and prevent its growth.
The Hughes fire is approximately 60 kilometers from Pacific Palisades, where the destructive Palisades fire has burned for three weeks, destroying more than 14,000 structures.
As progress was made on the Hughes fire, two new wildfires erupted in Southern California. In San Diego, a brush fire broke out late Thursday in the upscale La Jolla neighborhood near the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Evacuations were ordered but later lifted as firefighters contained the blaze. Farther south, near the Mexico border, another fire spread rapidly through the Otay Mountain Wilderness.
Authorities credited calmer winds and the forecasted rain this weekend—marking the end of a prolonged dry spell—for aiding containment efforts.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the state’s wildfire crisis on Thursday by signing a $2.5 billion (€2.39 billion) relief package. This funding will support disaster response efforts, including evacuations, shelters, and hazardous waste removal. It also includes $4 million (€3.8 million) for local governments to expedite rebuilding permits and $1 million (€957,000) for school districts to restore facilities.
The state’s wildfire recovery efforts continue as authorities monitor and contain emerging threats.
