A fast-moving wildfire fueled by high winds exploded over 5,000 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic on Wednesday, prompting mandatory evacuations and road closures as it continued to spread.

The Hughes Fire broke out near Lake Hughes Road just north of Castaic Reservoir Road and quickly grew to 500 acres within an hour. As of 12:30 p.m., less than two hours after fire officials first reported the fire, the fire had spread to 3,407 acres and had 0% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Cal Fire said an estimated 5,054 acres remained at 0% containment as of 1:03 p.m.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced just before 2 p.m. that all lanes of northbound I-5 north of SR-126 would be closed. The detour route for drivers is SR-126 and the alternative route is SR-14.

The unincorporated community of Castaic is located in northwest Los Angeles County, approximately 15 miles northwest of Santa Clarita and adjacent to the Los Angeles National Forest. The nearby Santa Clarita Valley is home to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and huge plumes of smoke from the Hughes Fire can be seen in nearby areas.

The wildfire spread to more than 5,000 acres in just two hours, expanding mandatory evacuation orders and snarling traffic on some roads, causing people to flee the area. As the situation rapidly evolves, authorities try to keep people calm, announcing a series of updates and new evacuations, as they did earlier this month.

January 7, two major wildfires Fires ignited on both sides of Los Angeles County, burning tens of thousands of acres, killing at least 28 people and scorching entire communities, including homes, schools, churches and grocery stores across the region. Altadena hardest hit area and Pacific Palisades.

“We’re just asking people — I know it’s hard to say, but stay calm and listen to the first responders,” California Highway Patrol Trooper Isabel Diaz said just before 1 p.m. as the Hughes Fire continued to burn. continues to spread. "It's a very active and chaotic scene at the moment and we're all trying to get everyone out safely."

When the flames first broke out, that area of ​​Los Angeles County - which includes the Santa Clarita Valley - Got a red flag warningextremely low humidity, and Santa Ana winds increase the risk of wildfires starting and spreading quickly.

"It does have a high potential for spread because we're looking at 32 mph winds," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sheila Kelliher Berkoh. "As the afternoon turns into the evening, Winds should pick up."

As the wildfire continued to spread into the early afternoon, authorities expanded mandatory evacuation orders.

"This time of year is especially dangerous," said Fred Fielding, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. "We haven't had significant rain in nearly 300 days."

Currently, the Angeles National Forest where the Hughes Fire occurred is closed to the public to protect natural resources and public safety. Closed from January 19th to Friday, January 24th.

Evacuation orders and warnings

A map showing where evacuation zones are located and which areas are currently under mandatory evacuation orders or warnings can be found here . More information on the latest updates and resources for evacuees can be found here.

A temporary evacuation center has been set up at Valencia High School, 27801 Dickson Dr. Valencia, CA 91355. Meanwhile, Lancaster Animal Care Center and Pierce College have provided shelter for evacuated large animals, and shelters for smaller animals have been opened in Palmdale, Agoura and Lancaster. Lancaster Animal Care Center established.

Los Angeles County residents can sign up for emergency alerts here. The City of Santa Clarita tells residents to visit the city's website for the latest updates on ongoing evacuation orders and other information related to the Hughes Fire.

According to local authorities, mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for the following areas as of 12:30 p.m. PST.

• castaic lake
• ridge route
• paradise ranch road
• Beihu Primary School
• Sloan Canyon Road
• green mountain avenue
• hillcrest parkway
• hasley canyon
• Romero Canyon Road
• cambridge area
• charlie canyon area
• paradise ranch
• E008 (Information on where evacuation zones are located can be found here)

road closure

All lanes of I-5 north of SR-126 are closed, and two exit ramps along I-5 at Parker Road and Lake Hughes Road were also closed early Wednesday. California Highway Patrol officials reported that I-5 was affected by smoke from the Hughes Fire, so motorists were told to drive with caution.

Below is a list of current closures as of Wednesday, January 22nd at 12:00 PM PST.

• Lake Hughes Ridge Route
• Ridge Route at Templin Highway
• Lake Hughes at Pine Canyon
• Dry Canyon at San Francisco Cueto Canyon Road

School evacuations and closures

Northlake Hills Elementary School in Castaic was evacuated to the Aquatic Center in Castaic and the Castaic Sports Center, both located in the 31000 block of Castaic Road.

Meanwhile, all other schools within the Castaic Unified School District were evacuated Wednesday and parents and guardians were notified and asked to pick up their children from campus, according to district officials.

Castaic Middle School and Castaic Elementary School were both evacuated to the parking lot of Ralph's Grocery Store in Hasley Canyon. "Parents need to respond," California Highway Patrol officials wrote in a post distributed to X at 12:53 p.m. PST.

Please check back for updates on this developing story.