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Firefighters in Southern California rushed to respond to a rapidly-burning blaze early Wednesday afternoon.
The Hughes Fire grew quickly near Castaic Lake, ballooning to more than 5,050 acres since it started at 10:53 a.m. PST. Crews on the ground and in the sky attacked the flames.
“That one’s gonna go nuclear. It’s big,” wildfire expert Jacob Weigler told The New York Post. Weigler said he had been in contact with colleagues near the scene and that an initial equipment request from fire services indicated a potentially massive disaster.
Roughly 19,000 people were being evacuated south and west of the fire, officials told KTLA, with thousands more under evacuation warnings.
Home to more than 18,000, Castaic is located near Castaic Lake, a 12,658-acre reservoir that supplies water to the Los Angeles area. The nearby city of Santa Clarita has more than 224,000 residents. It is known for its Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park.
Several schools were forced to close, ABC 7 reported.
“As many of you may know, a vegetation fire is currently burning on the east side of Castaic Lake,” an alert sent by the William S. Hart Union High School District to Castaic High families read, according to The Signal. “We have been reassured by our law enforcement and fire partners that the school is currently not in any danger. Out of an abundance of caution, and as a result of poor air conditions, we will be ceasing all school activities for the day immediately. Students will be dismissed to leave at 11:40 a.m.”
I-5 was affected by heavy smoke, and offramps along the artery were closed.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but forecasters had warned of more critical fire weather affecting the region through Thursday. It remains 0 percent contained.
The Hughes Fire was not the first start of the day. The 7-acre Bernardo Fire in San Diego County also forced evacuations. It is now 25 percent contained, according to CBS 8.
This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
With reporting from The Associated Press
