Hughes Fire evacuation and perimeter maps: New wildfire sparks in northern Los Angeles County

GUNSHOTS. RIGHT NOW, NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE OTHER BREAKING NEWS WE’RE FOLLOWING IS OUT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. FIREFIGHTERS ARE RESPONDING TO A FAST-MOVING BRUSH FIRE NEAR CASTAIC, JUST NORTH OF LOS ANGELES. THE HUGE FIRE BROKE OUT ABOUT 1030 THIS MORNING, AND IT’S ALREADY PRETTY INTENSE. AND FLAMES. THESE ARE LIVE PICTURES. AND LOOK AT HOW MUCH IT’S ALREADY GROWN IN SIZE. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO STRUCTURES AT THIS TIME, BUT YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW BIG IT IS. EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR SOME NEARBY AREAS. LET’S GET OVER TO METEOROLOGIST DIRK VERDOORN, WHO’S TRACKING THE FIRE CONDITIONS AND THE WINDS. DIRK. YEAH, RIGHT NOW THIS IS THE LOCATION. YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A SATELLITE IMAGE SHOWING WHERE THE HUGHES FIRE IS. AND THE THING THAT YOU’RE REALLY NOTICE IS THE BIG SMOKE PLUME ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SO IT’S BURNING A LOT OF FUEL, AND THAT SMOKE IS BEING PUSHED OFF TOWARDS THE WEST. WE HAVE WIND GUSTS OF 32MPH BEING REPORTED RIGHT THERE IN THE AREA. AND VERY DRY, 8% HUMIDITY. SO IT’S GOING TO BE MOVING FAST WITH THOSE WINDS AND THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS, OTHER WIND GUSTS THAT WE’RE SEEING NEAR RIVERSIDE 37MPH, OXNARD 30MPH. SANTA ANA HAS WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 26MPH. THERE’S A RED FLAG WARNING THAT HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL TOMORROW EVENING AT 8 P.M. WE’RE LOOKING AT NORTHEAST GUSTS OF UP TO 65MPH. AND AGAIN, THOSE WIND GUSTS THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS ARE GOING TO BE IN THE MOUNTAINS. AND IN THE CANYONS IS WHERE WE’RE GOING TO NOTICE THAT. BUT VERY DRY CONDITIONS THAT WILL PERSIST AS WELL DURING THIS TIME FRAME, ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 10% HUMIDITY. THAT’S NOT A LOT OF WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE. AND THAT MEANS THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO STAY VERY DRY. FUTURECAST SHOWS THAT THESE STRONG WINDS ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT STRONGER THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. WE’LL BACK OFF OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND THEN PICK UP AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON. WE’LL SEE VERY SIMILAR WINDS, IF NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT STRONGER AS WE GO THROUGH THURSDAY AF