As the sun began to set over Castaic Lake Wednesday, the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flames, casting an eerie orange light on the valley below.
The Hughes Fire started in northern Castaic early in the day and had grown to more than 9,000 acres by the evening, forcing the evacuation of approximately 31,000 people.
On Lake Hughes Road, wooden pilings supporting power lines caught fire and snapped, sending high-voltage lines snake-like across the sidewalk.
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Overhead, a pair of firefighting helicopters continued to circle rapidly between the lake and the burning hillside. It took them just a minute to fill the water tank with a hose while hovering above the water. It then only took a few more minutes to drop the baggage on the flames and come back for more.
South of the lake, a large vacant lot burned as dozens of fire trucks battled the embers. Across Ridgeroot Road, where a series of apartment buildings stood within a stone’s throw of the flames, residents watched the scene like fans at a sporting event, holding their phones aloft and recording shocking footage. Shared with friends and family through live streaming video.
Antonio Morataya was working about 15 minutes away when he heard the field next to his apartment building was on fire.
He rushed home, threw his passport and other available documents into his car, and went outside to observe what turned into an hours-long battle between firefighters and the flames.
Flames swept through the hills in Castaic on Wednesday amid thick smoke.
(Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times)
Located a few blocks east of Interstate 5, there is nothing on fire between us and the freeway, and if the roads are not congested, there will be a good evacuation route if conditions get worse. there were.
He joked that he felt “safe” because there was a small county fire station half a block away, but “the fire was even closer!”
Rob More had just rushed home through flames and police barricades to see if his house was on fire. Considering that, he looked quite relaxed.
He was dressed head to toe in motorcycle safety gear and leaning on a powerful off-road bike. This is an excellent means of evacuation, especially if the roads are congested.
He said the house remained safe even as helicopters whirred overhead and long lines of emergency vehicles passed by with sirens blaring. He has lived in Castaic for 22 years and says the fire continues to burn into his backyard.
Bulldozer operators drive into the flames to set up containment lines at the Hughes Fire off Charlie Canyon Road in Castaic.
(Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“I think we’re better prepared in this area than other areas because we’re right next to the hills and we get fires so often,” he said. .
As about half a dozen more Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department cruisers passed by, Mower acknowledged that they and firefighters had swarmed the town so quickly. It was clear Los Angeles County had the wherewithal to fight these problems, he said. For More, it put into perspective how many homes and lives were lost to inclement weather during the Palisades and Eaton fires.
“It must have been totally out of hand,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes that’s the nature of the beast.”
There were no reports of homes or lives lost in Castaic Wednesday afternoon, even as huge flames continued to burn in the hills above as More spoke.
Moir checked not only his home but also the homes of several friends and neighbors, all of which were still intact.
“This happens every few years,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just part of life in California.”
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