'Driving into hell.' Hughes Fire grows with alarming speed in Castaic

J.C. Chancellor was traveling south on the 5 Freeway Wednesday in northern Los Angeles County Wednesday morning when she noticed an ominous cloud of dark smoke billowing in the distance.

About 15 miles away from Chancellor's location in the Grapevine section of the freeway, the Hughes Fire was well underway in what witnesses described as an apocalyptic scene in the Castaic area about 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles

"It's breathtaking, unfortunately," said Chancellor. "It looked like you were driving into hell. There was red fire coming up from below. It was pretty terrifying.

The Hughes Fire started at about 10:30 a.m. off the 5 Freeway at Lake Hughes Road in hillside brush that fire authorities described as critically dry. With ample vegetation for fuel, the fire grew to more than 100 acres in less than an hour. The acreage estimate jumped to about 500 before noon and 3,400 about 30 minutes later. Just after 1 p.m., Cal Fire said the fire was at more than 5,000 acres.

By 5 p.m., it was at 8,000 acres with no containment.

"It looks like a smoke bomb went off," Chancellor said.

The expansive smoke cloud cast a shadow over the 5 Freeway and a nearby residential neighborhood. Evacuations were ordered as water-dropping aircraft made runs on the fire in an effort to slow its spread ahead of stronger afternoon winds.

Under a red flag warning, any fires that do start are more likely to spread at a rapid rate behind strong winds. Flying embers also speed a brush fire's spread. Powerful gusts can cast hot embers for miles, starting spot fires ahead of the main fire line in a nightmare scenario for firefighters.

"There's a critical rate of spread for this fire," said LA County Fire public information officer Fred Fielding. "This vegetation is extremely dry. We've had two years of above average rainfall (2023 and 2024)… so you've go a lot of these light grasses where these fires can start, and if it gets into that old growth vegetation there's a lot of energy there. Combine that with the winds, and you've got a recipe for a very high rate of spread."

A resident of the Malibou Lake area in the Santa Monica Mountains, Chancellor said the November 2018 Woolsey Fire burned up to the family's backyard. The area also was threatened by the 1,000-acre Kenneth Fire earlier this month in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

"I feel for the people in that area," Chancellor said of the Hughes Fire. "It's a scary time in this area, especially with the dryness."

The region is under severe drought conditions after a dry start to the wet season in Southern California. After record rain last season, a months-long dry spell left hillsides covered in dry brush, providing fuel for wildfires.