A new massive wildfire broke out on the 22nd in Los Angeles (LA), the largest city in the western United States, spreading rapidly due to strong winds and putting authorities on high alert.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the wildfire ignited near Castaic Lake in northern LA County at 10:53 AM and burned 8,096 acres (32.8 km²) by 3:56 PM.

Named the “Hughes Fire,” the blaze expanded to over seven times the size of Yeouido (4.5 km²) in just five hours, posing a significant threat to residents.

Authorities issued immediate evacuation orders for 20,000 residents in the area.

Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, officials suspect that extremely dry vegetation from months of little to no rainfall in LA, coupled with strong gusts of wind, contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in LA, humidity in the wildfire area was as low as 7%, and gusts reached speeds of 67.6 km/h. The NWS warned that wind speeds were expected to increase to 80.5 km/h by the evening, with gusts possibly reaching up to 96.6 km/h later that night and into Thursday.

Kayla Amara, a nurse living near the wildfire zone, expressed her distress in an interview with the Associated Press: “I’ve been under a lot of stress from recent fires, and now with this one happening so close to home, it’s overwhelming.”

LA residents have already been struggling with two major wildfires that broke out on the 7th and have continued for more than two weeks.

The "Palisades Fire," which began near the western coast, has scorched 94.9 km², while the "Eaton Fire," spreading inland to the east, has burned 56.7 km².

The two fires have destroyed an estimated 12,000 buildings, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.

At least 28 fatalities have been confirmed from the two fires, and 22 people are reported missing.

As of 5 PM on the 22nd, the Palisades Fire was 68% contained, while the Eaton Fire was 91% contained.

Prolonged wildfires have also resulted in ash and toxic smoke polluting the air, prompting air quality alerts for the greater LA area.