Evacuations ordered as new wildfire threatens homes north of LA

Evacuations were ordered on Wednesday (local time) for remote communities near a new fast-moving wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles, as Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.

The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and quickly ripped through 9 square kilometres of trees and brush, sending up a huge plume of dark smoke near Lake Castaic, about 64km north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames.

Meanwhile to the south, Los Angeles officials were preparing for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday.

"We're going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California," Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Wednesday morning. "At this point, it sounds like a broken record."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides and reinforce roads ahead of the possible rain.

Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.

"As the fires have settled, new challenges lie ahead," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday news conference. "Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real."

A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than 0.8cm, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather service’s office for Los Angeles. However, up to 2 1/2cm could fall in localised thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough falls on scorched slopes.

"But even if the rain doesn’t materialise this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years," Kittell said.

Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers were installing barriers and clearing drainage pipes and basins.

In 2018, Montecito, a town 130km up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged.

Officials remained concerned that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to watch for hot spots, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned strategically allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA, San Diego and Riverside counties, officials said.

The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out January 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 68%, and the Eaton Fire was at 91%.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All of those reported missing are adults, he said.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings.

Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison's equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.

President Donald Trump, who criticised the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday. Barger said Wednesday that details of Trump's visit were still being worked out.