A terrifying new wildfire burning out of control north of Los Angeles that has already torched 3,400 acres could “go nuclear,” a wildfire expert warned.
That blaze is now called the Hughes Fire, and although it has not reached urban areas, authorities have issued an evacuation order for nearby communities, including roughly 18,000 people in the town of Castaic.
At about 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, a huge column of smoke was spotted in the wilderness near Santa Clarita, California, prompting first responders to request four aircraft and 50 fire engines, according to the fire monitoring organization Watch Duty.
That initial request indicated a fire that was already nearly out of control, said Jacob Weigler, Wildfire Coordinator for Central Pierce County, Washington, who has been in contact with colleagues near the scene and monitoring the fire’s spread.
“That one’s gonna go nuclear. It’s big,” Weigler told The Post.“You know what the fuels are capable of doing in that area right now, and what the wind does is going to be a big deal for this,” he added, referring to the recent high winds and dry conditions that sparked the deadly and ongoing LA wildfires earlier this month.
