Latest Details on New Southern California Wildfire

A new major wildfire erupted in Southern California on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of over 50,000 residents. Here is the latest information on this fluid situation, as well as when the parched region can expect much-needed rainfall.

Details on Latest Southern California Wildfire

The Hughes Fire ignited on Wednesday in Southern California, quickly growing to over 10,000 acres in a matter of hours. The fire is burning to the north of Santa Clarita near Castaic Lake.

As of Thursday morning, Cal Fire said that the Hughes Fire has scorched 10,176 acres and is 14% contained. Another round of Santa Ana winds fueled the blaze, first reported at 10:53 am PST Wednesday. Cal Fire said that the fire had grown to over 5,000 acres in size in a period of just two hours.

An evacuation center is up and running at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita. A number of roads have been closed as the flames encroach. Some parts of Interstate 5 were also shut down for a time.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the Hughes Fire. Cal Fire has dispatched several aircraft to help to fight the flames. Over 1,100 firefighters are on the scene in Southern California. The only silver lining is that the Hughes Fire is burning in a less densely populated area when compared to earlier events.

Another fire erupted early Thursday in a more populated part of Southern California. The Supelveda Fire came to life near the busy Interstate 405 corridor in the Los Angeles area. The Sepulveda Fire is 60% contained after burning 45 acres as of Thursday morning.

In other wildfire news, progress is being made in controlling the other major fires in the region. The deadly Palisades Fire is now 72% contained after burning over 23,400 acres. The Eaton Fire has burned over 14,000 acres and is now 95% contained.

Rain on the Way?

A significant shift in the weather pattern will bring the chance of rain to Southern California this weekend, hopefully delivering an assist to fire crews working to contain the blazes. A storm is coming together off the coast of the Golden State with the promise of sending rain to the lower elevations and snow to the higher terrains.

The latest forecast models are indicating that nearly every area in coastal Southern California should get in on the rain action. Meanwhile, it will be snow that falls across the mountains of the region.

This is typically the time of the year when the moisture machine fires up across the West Coast. The rain and snow that is picked up this time of the year in California is vital to restore water levels in area reservoirs.

However, the wet season has been anything but wet this year in Southern California. The wet season officially starts on October 1 and Los Angeles has only seen 0.16 of an inch since that time. This is just 2% of the historical average of moisture that is typically picked up during this period.