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By Jordan King
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The Hughes fire is the latest major blaze to hit Los Angeles. Here is how it compares to the two largest ones, the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Newsweek has contacted the Los Angeles Fire Department for comment via email.
The Context
California's resources are already stretched thin contending with the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
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Newsweek has compared all three fires to get an idea of how much more pressure the Hughes blaze may add.
Size and Containment
The Hughes fire, which began on Wednesday, spanned 10,176 acres as of 11:36 p.m. local time later that day, according to Cal Fire's latest update. The fire is 14 percent contained.
Meanwhile, the Palisades fire, which began on January 7, spanned 23,448 acres with 70 percent containment as of 6:32 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Eaton fire, which also began on January 7, covered 14,021 acres and was 95 percent contained as of 6:52 p.m. on Wednesday.
Damage Assessment and Death Toll
Cal Fire has not published a damage assessment or death toll for the Hughes fire. The Palisades fire has killed 11 people and injured four while damaging 890 structures and destroying 6,662 buildings.
The Eaton fire has killed 17 people and injured nine. It has damaged 1,073 structures and destroyed 9,418.
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Resources Assigned
It has not been confirmed how many resources have been assigned to battle the Hughes fire. According to Cal Fire's latest update, 3,274 personnel, 24 helicopters, 344 engines, 15 dozers, 18 water tenders and 34 crews are fighting the Palisades fire.
Battling the Eaton fire are 1,837 personnel, 94 engines, six dozers, 14 water tenders and 26 crews.
Location
The Hughes fire, which spans the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, is located on Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake in the community of Castaic.
The Palisades fire, in the county of Los Angeles, is located southeast of Palisades Drive in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
The Eaton fire, also in Los Angeles County, is located near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
Evacuation
Evacuation orders, which are lawful orders in place for people to leave now because of an immediate threat to life, are in place for 15 zones near the Hughes fire.
Meanwhile, there are evacuation warnings, meaning those who need additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now because of a potential threat to life and property, for 37 zones.
With the Palisades fire, 13 zones are under evacuation orders, with some zones open to residents only.
Sepulveda Fire
A new brush fire has broken out in the Sepulveda Pass near Interstate Highway 405 in Sherman Oaks. It was first reported just after 11 p.m. on Wednesday and had since spread to 10 acres, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert.
Some 86 zones are under evacuation warnings, as of the LAFD's most recent update.
Gavin Newsom Could Face Recall
California Governor Gavin Newsom may face the biggest fight of his political life over the fallout from the state's response to the wildfires that have engulfed the greater Los Angeles area. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, a fellow Democrat, may face a similar political ordeal.
Critics argue that officials not only fumbled the response to the blaze but were also ill-prepared for the inferno to begin with—with hydrants running dry and at least one state reservoir sitting empty amid an unusually hot, dry and windy fire season in Southern California. The state's water and forest management policies have also been the focus of some of the blowback, particularly from Republicans.
The criticism being lodged at the governor and mayor—including from members of their own political base of support in deep-blue Los Angeles—and California's penchant for recalling politicians who have fallen out of favor with the electorate have led to murmurs from Sacramento to Beverly Hills about whether Bass and Newsom will retain their jobs once the fires are controlled.
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