DH Web Desk
A powerful new wildfire broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, triggering the evacuation of tens of thousands and leaving residents on edge in a region already shaken by two recent deadly fires.
Credit: Reuters
Ferocious flames devoured hillsides near Castaic Lake, spreading rapidly to cover more than 9,400 acres (3,800 hectares) in just a few hours.
Credit: Reuters
The fire was fanned by strong, dry Santa Ana winds racing through the area, pushing a vast pall of smoke and embers ahead of the firefront.
Credit: Reuters
Evacuations were ordered for 50,000 people around the lake, which sits 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, and close to the city of Santa Clarita.
Credit: Reuters
The Hughes Fire came as the greater Los Angeles area was on edge after two enormous fires tore through America's second largest metropolis, killing more than two dozen people and wreaking billions of dollars of devastation.
Credit: Reuters
Helicopters dropped water, and planes dumped tens of thousands of gallons of fire retardant, laying down lines of red intended to corral the flames and pinch the firefront.
Credit: Reuters
Los Angeles's water supplies are mainly fed via aqueducts and canals originating from entirely separate river basins further east.
Credit: Reuters