Firefighters in Southern California have been conducting more fierce wildfire fights as crews race to contain and extinguish several fires that broke out this week.
Fast Facts:
- Firefighters continue to battle as many as nine wildfires across Southern California, scorching more than 50,000 acres.
- Critical fire conditions are waning across the region, with isolated pockets of rain expected over the weekend.
- The beneficial rain will peak in coverage on Sunday and could trigger mudslides in burn-scar areas.
LOS ANGELES – Southern California is grappling with a surge in wildfires, with nine active fires currently burning across the region. However, there’s encouraging news as containment efforts are increasing.
WATCH: HUGHES FIRE INFERNO CONSUMES HILLS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
CalFire Battalion Chief David Acuna joins FOX Weather to discuss the latest fires breaking out in Southern California. Fire Weather Warnings are extended through Friday as the fire danger remains high.
The two massive fires, the deadly Palisades and the Eaton fires, have been raging near Los Angeles since Jan. 7, with containment efforts reaching 75% and 95%, respectively. A number of new outbreaks are still appearing this week, including several in the counties of Ventura, Riverside, and near San Diego.
“The problem is we keep having fires pop up, and they’re popping up in very populated areas,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin.
(FOX Weather)
As of Friday, the Hughes Fire in Los Angeles County has forced thousands to evacuate. The once rapid-growing Laguna Fire near Camarillo in Ventura County has been contained at 50 acres. The remote location and challenging terrain of the Gilman Fire, situated between Encinitas and San Diego, are also significantly hampering the firefighting effort.
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Video captured of the Hughes Fire captured by Bernard Deyo shows the rapidly spreading fire and wildfire smoke near Castaic Lake.
“It’s been truly heartbreaking,” Merwin said. “These are all areas that were lush and green just about six months ago. It really has been a quick onset at how crispy the tinder has gotten.”
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This image shows the Sepulveda Fire burning near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles County. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
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Downed power lines on Lake Hughes Road in Castaic on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The Hughes fire more than 10,000 acres. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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A firefighter truck backs up from flames of smoke from the new Hughes Fire at the Lake Hughes Road in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025. (Apu GOMES / AFP)
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Emergency vehicles are on the side of the road as flames from the Hughes Fire race up the hill in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP)
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A sheriff takes photos as flames from the Hughes Fire race up the hill in Castaic, a northwestern neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 22, 2025. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP)
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Castaic, CA – January 22:Tankers drop Phos-Chek on the front edge of the Hughes fire in Castaic, CA on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News)
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Smoke from the Hughes Fire seen from Santa Clarita, California, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg)
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen above the hills from the Magic Mountain exit of Interstate 5 freeway in Valencia, California, on January 22, 2025. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg)
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The Hughes Fire burns behind the skyline of Six Flags Magic Mountain on January 22, 2025 in Valencia, California. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
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A plume of smoke from the new Hughes fire is seen behind the California State Route 14 highway from Santa Clarita, California, on January 22, 2025. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
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CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Robyn Beck / AFP)
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CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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The Hughes Fire burns north of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 near Castaic, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Hughes Fire as seen from Whitaker Ridge. (@VCFD_PIO / X)
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Smoke from Hughes Fire. (@CaltransDist7 / X)
While wind gusts are expected to be less severe on Friday, the ongoing threat of low humidity remains a major concern. Relative humidity levels are currently hovering between 10% and 15% in some areas, creating highly flammable conditions.
MUCH-NEEDED RAIN EYES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND: WHAT IT MEANS FOR BURN SCARS, WILDFIRES
Footage shot from the cockpit of a firefighting aircraft shows a U.S. Air National Guard pilot dropping fire retardant over the Hughes Fire in Southern California on Wednesday.
Rain on the way but comes with risks
The FOX Forecast Center said an upper-level disturbance will likely swing into the region from the Pacific Ocean this weekend, bringing the first widespread rain in months.
Rain and mountain snow will begin on Saturday and peak in coverage on Sunday before winding down on Monday. About a half-inch of rain may fall in the lower elevations, and multiple inches of snow are expected above 4,000 feet.
(FOX Weather)
The rain, while beneficial, does present risks.
Mudslides within burn-scar areas in Southern California are possible during the rain, and officials warned that charred hillsides are in danger of giving way even if there isn’t rain. The burned landscape, littered with broken water mains, and the influx of water from firefighting efforts have destabilized hillsides in the region.