A quick-moving brush fire ripping through Castaic quickly swelled to more than 9,000 acres Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents to vacate their homes and head toward safety. But how exactly did it grow so rapidly?
Southern California’s weather conditions created a perfect cocktail of dryness from the lack of rain and ongoing Santa Ana winds that helped fan the flames and spread. Add vegetation that’s been dry due to the lack of moisture and that acts as fuel for the fire.
“This vegetation is extremely dry,” said LA County Fire public information officer Fred Fielding. “We’ve had two years of above average rainfall (2023 and 2024)… so you’ve got a lot of these light grasses where these fires can start, and if it gets into that old growth vegetation there’s a lot of energy there. Combine that with the winds, and you’ve got a recipe for a very high rate of spread.”
The region has been particularly dry with virtually no rain in recent months. That’s left vegetation dry, and with the return of the Santa Ana winds’ warm conditions, humidity levels in the Southland have depleted. Although the winds haven’t been as dramatic as the ones from earlier this month, they continue to contribute to the spread of the blaze.
“The conditions that we’re under aren’t as severe as what we’ve been facing over the last week or two, but what you saw today is indicative of the conditions that we’re in terms of the vegetation,” said Robert Garcia, Fire Chief of the US Forest Service. “So, although we’re not under particularly dangerous situation in terms of the wind, our wildland fire condition is critical.”
A red flag warning will remain in effect for most of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through 10 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
With the Hughes Fire burning near Castaic, surrounding communities such as Santa Clarita, Ventura, Thousand Oaks and more are being impacted by smoke. NBC4 Meteorologist Melissa Magee explains.
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