LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new forest fire in the mountains north of Los Angeles led authorities to issue evacuation orders on Wednesday for communities near the fire, as Southern California faces another round of dangerous winds before the rains forecasted for the weekend.
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The Hughes fire broke out in the morning and quickly burned 9 square kilometers (3.5 square miles) of trees and shrubs, generating a huge column of dark smoke near the Castaic Lake area, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of the ongoing devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that have been active for three weeks.
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The exit ramps along Interstate 5, one of the main highways running from north to south, were closed because the flames were sweeping through the hills and advancing into the steep canyons. Ground crews and tanker planes were attacking the flames driven by the winds.
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"We're going to see another round of critical fire conditions across Southern California," said meteorologist Todd Hall from the National Weather Service in the morning. "At this point, it sounds like a broken record."
On her part, the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, issued an executive order to accelerate the cleaning efforts in the burned areas and mitigate the environmental impact of the contaminants related to the fire. She ordered the crews to remove vegetation, reinforce slopes, and fortify roads in preparation for possible rain.
The supervisors of Los Angeles County also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite the removal of sediments in areas affected by the fire.
"As the fires settle down, new challenges arise," said Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Wednesday at a press conference. "Rain is forecasted and the threat of mudslides and debris flows in our fire-impacted communities is real."
The forecast was for a 60% to 80% chance of some rain in Southern California starting on Saturday, although most areas probably wouldn't receive more than 0.8 centimeters (a third of an inch) of water, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office for Los Angeles.
However, in some areas, up to 2.5 centimeters (one inch) of rain could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be the worst-case scenario if enough falls to trigger debris flows on burned slopes.
The firefighters filled sandbags for the communities while county workers installed barriers and cleaned drainage pipes and basins.
The city’s mayor also warned that winds could carry ashes and advised Angelinos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the new Santa Ana winds event.