New fires break out in Southern California ahead of Trump visit

Five new fires have broken out in Southern California ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the state.

The Blazes — named Laguna, Sepulveda, Gibbel, Gilman and Border 2 — broke out Thursday in Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura and Riverside counties.

Meanwhile, firefighters have made progress in containing the 10,000-acre Hughes Fire in Los Angeles, containing it by 36% since it erupted Wednesday.

Fires have devastated the US state in recent weeks, with the Palisades and Eaton fires burning a combined total of more than 37,000 acres and killing at least 28 people.

Here are some details about the latest fires, based on updates from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire):

• The Border 2 Fire in San Diego is 800 acres. Evacuation orders are currently in place
• The Laguna Blaze in Ventura covers 94 acres and 70% of it has been contained
• The Sepulveda Fire in Los Angeles is 45 acres and 60% contained. In an update posted to X, the Los Angeles Fire Department said they had stopped the fire from spreading and evacuation orders had been lifted
• The Gibbel Fire broke out in Riverside County, covering 15 acres. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading
• A brush fire nicknamed Gilman in San Diego covers two acres, but the fire’s progress has been stopped

Trump is expected to visit Los Angeles on Friday to survey the damage caused by the wildfires.

The newly inaugurated president has criticized the response to the fires and threatened to withhold federal aid if California does not change the way it manages the water supply.

He criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom and repeatedly claimed the state had water problems because he diverted supplies to save a small fish called a spurfish.

When asked by US media if he was cutting funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Trump said: “Maybe I should do it. Sometimes it’s the only thing that you can do. California is a great example.

“If you actually ask people, they don’t want sanctuary cities, but Gavin Newsom does. And these radical politicians left.”

Brian Rice, the president of the California Professional Firefighters, told the BBC he hoped Trump would not deny federal aid to the state.

“The most important goal we have is to get federal assistance to California, to these communities where people have lost their lives, their homes,” he said.

“In the history of this country, federal disaster aid has never been tied if you do this, you get it. That’s the discussion that’s happening, that’s never happened.”

The Hughes Fire — the state’s third-largest fire after the Palisades and Eaton fires — forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate after erupting Wednesday.

According to Cal Fire, Crew managed to make progress in containing the fire quickly on Thursday.

Los Angeles is under an elevated fire danger zone today with brisk winds, according to BBC.

Rain is expected over the weekend in the county, as well as snow in the Southern California mountains.