Hurst Fire Erupts in California as Los Angeles Battles Multiple Blazes

Another wildfire has broken out in California as Los Angeles battles three major blazes.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Hurst fire, initially called the Sylmar fire, began at around 10:30 p.m. last night at Yarnell, north of Foothill Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. Within 15 minutes the blaze had spread to more than 100 acres, jumped the 210 Freeway and began to spread in the Angeles National Forest, Watch Duty, which tracks firefighting efforts in real time, said on its website.

A mandatory evacuation order is in place for north of 210 Freeway from Roxford to the Interstate 5 / 14 Freeway split. There is also an evacuation order in place for 5 Freeway to Woodley/Balboa to Lahey Street to Zelzah Avenue.

The Los Angeles Fire Department urges residents to "pack all people and pets into [their] vehicle and leave the area immediately."

There are now at least three active wildfires in the Los Angeles area, prompting evacuations of thousands of people across the state. Those include the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fire near Altadena, which erupted on Tuesday.

The Palisades fire rapidly ballooned in size to cover more than 2,900 acres with zero containment as of Wednesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Around 30,000 residents of Pacific Palisades have been told to evacuate immediately.

"Evacuate now from the area of Palisades Area. Those not in the evacuation area should shelter in place. Evacuation order for Palisades Fire," the Los Angeles Fire Department said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Eaton fire has now consumed approximately 1,000 acres in the hills above Altadena and prompted evacuation orders for parts of Altadena and Pasadena.

The wildfires are being fueled by some of the strongest Santa Ana winds in recent memory. Santa Ana winds are strong, dry winds that can reach speeds of 40–60 mph or higher. The winds dry out grasses, shrubs and trees, which act as fuel for wildfires. With vegetation desiccated, any spark—from power lines, machinery, or natural causes like lightning—can ignite a fire.

Paul Deanno, meteorologist for Los Angeles CBS stations KCBS and KCAL, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night that the Santa Ana winds mean there are "near worst-case scenario" weather conditions.

"It's a near worst-case scenario for #PacificPalisades with 46-55 mph winds pushing a brush fire into multiple neighborhoods. Evacuation ORDERS have just been issued," he wrote.

Overnight, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency.

"We've declared a state of emergency to amplify our response to this devastating fire and clear a path for a rapid recovery," Bass said.

"To the thousands of families impacted by this horrific fire – the City of Los Angeles is providing resources and shelter as this emergency continues," she added. "To the hundreds of brave firefighters and first responders who have been responding all day to this blaze – we thank you. The City is working aggressively to confront this emergency."