New wildfires broke out in Southern California ahead of Trump’s visit

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

The fires — 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 on the 10,000-acre Hughes Fire in Los Angeles, containing it 36 ​​percent since it broke out Wednesday.

Wildfires have ravaged the US state in the past few 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 on recent 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 Fire in Ventura is 94 acres and 70 percent contained
• The Sepulveda Fire in Los Angeles is 45 acres and 60 percent contained. In an update posted on X, the Los Angeles Fire Department said it has contained the fire and evacuation orders have been lifted
• The Gibble Fire broke out in Riverside County, burning 15 acres. Fire crews managed to stop the fire from spreading
• A brush fire called Gilman in San Diego covers two acres, but the flame’s progress has been halted

Trump is due to visit Los Angeles on Friday to survey the wildfire damage.

The newly inaugurated president has been critical of the response to the fires and has threatened to withhold federal aid if California fails to change the way it manages its water supply.

He has criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom and repeatedly made claims that the state has water problems because he diverted supplies to save a small fish called smelt.

Asked by US media if he would end funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Trump said: “I might have to. Sometimes it’s the only thing you can do. California is a great example of this.

“If you really poll people, they don’t want sanctuary cities, but Gavin Newsom does. And these radical left-wing politicians want it.”

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

“The most important focus we have is getting federal aid to California, to those communities where people have lost their lives, their homes,” he said.

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

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

Crews were able to make progress on the fast-moving fire Thursday, according to Cal Fire.

Los Angeles is in an elevated fire risk zone today with strong winds, according to BBC Weather.

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