California Wildfires

Map: Where the Hughes Fire and other wildfires are burning in LA County

The latest major Los Angeles County brush fire started Wednesday morning in Castaic and grew to 3,400 acres in two hours.

Three major fires were burning on a day of high fire danger Wednesday in Los Angeles County.

The fires include the deadly Eaton and Palisades fire and the Hughes Fire, which started Wednesday morning in the Castaic area. The fire grew with ferocious speed, expanding to 3,400 acres in about two hours.

Here's where the fires are burning. Scroll down for acreage and containment updates.

Hughes Fire in Castaic

The Hughes Fire started at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Castaic north of Los Angeles. By 12:30 p.m., the fire grew to 3,400 acres with evacuation orders in surrounding areas. There was no containment on a day of red flag warnings in the area with winds expected to pick up in the afternoon.

Eaton Fire in Altadena

The Eaton Fire, which started Jan. 7 in a Santa Ana windstorm, was 91-percent contained at 14,000 acres. Evacuations have been lifted in the area.

Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades

The Palisades Fire near the LA County coast started on the morning of Jan. 7. It grew to 23,400 acres with containment at 68 percent.

Twenty-eight deaths were reported in the Eaton and Palisades fires. They are among the most destructive fires on record in California.

The region is under severe drought conditions after a dry start to the wet season in Southern California. After record rain last season, a months-long dry spell left hillsides covered in dry brush, providing fuel for wildfires.

Under a red flag warning, any fires that do start are more likely to spread at a rapid rate behind strong winds. Flying embers also speed a brush fire's spread. Powerful gusts can cast hot embers for miles, starting spot fires ahead of the main fire line in a nightmare scenario for firefighters.

Contact Us