Fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, the wildfire has forced more than 31,000 Americans to evacuate, while another 23,000 are preparing to evacuate.
The fire, known as the Hughes Fire, occurred about 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, adding to the burden on firefighters in the area.
In just a short time, the Hughes Fire had grown to two-thirds the size of the Eaton Fire — one of two major fires raging around Los Angeles.
Authorities have also warned residents in the Castaic Lake area of Los Angeles County of an “immediate threat to life.” Meanwhile, Southern California remains under a red alert due to high fire danger due to strong winds and dry air.
More than 4,000 firefighters have been mobilized to control the blaze. Another 1,100 firefighters have been deployed across Southern California to combat the fast-spreading fire. The entire 1,000-square-mile Los Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains has been completely closed.
Images from the scene showed helicopters repeatedly scooping water from the lake to fight the flames, while planes dropped fire retardant on the hills. The fire had reached the water’s edge, and thick smoke caused travel disruptions on Interstate 5, America’s main north-south artery. However, after firefighters brought the fire under control, the road was reopened.
Meanwhile, two other major fires that have burned since January 7 have made significant progress. The Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 22 square miles east of Los Angeles, is 91 percent contained. The Palisades Fire, a larger fire that has burned about 37 square miles west of Los Angeles, is now 68 percent contained.
Since their outbreak, the two fires have burned an area roughly the size of Washington, D.C., claiming 28 lives and destroying nearly 16,000 structures. At their peak, 180,000 people were evacuated. AccuWeather estimates that economic and property losses could exceed $250 billion.
