A new fire broke out near Los Angeles’ Bel Air neighborhood early on Thursday as the Hughes fire, which was first reported Wednesday in northern Los Angeles County, grew rapidly to set ablaze more than 10,000 acres, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders and warnings to more than 50,000 people.
The National Weather Service warned Thursday is a particularly dangerous day for fires in Los Angles and Ventura counties, adding most of both counties are at “critical red flag levels” with humidity less than 15% and winds that frequently hit 25 mph or greater.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster funds from California as he blamed the state’s fish conservation efforts in its north for water shortages that have hampered the firefighting efforts. Trump told Fox: “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was able to stop forward progress of the Sepulveda Fire, which covered 40 acres near the Getty Center and Los Angeles’ upscale Bel Air neighborhood.
The wildfires have cost the city of Los Angeles at least $385 million so far, according to a preliminary report released by the city on Wednesday. Around $350 million of that cost is linked to the damage caused by the fire to the city’s infrastructure.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city has deployed “air support and other aggressive actions” to fight the new fire which has triggered an evacuation warning for nearby areas.
Forbes
