Thousands of inmates at a Castaic jail complex were kept sheltered in place despite being within the evacuation zone of the 10,000-plus acre Hughes Fire that erupted Wednesday.
The Hughes Fire was reported around 11 a.m. and quickly grew to cover thousands of acres, prompting evacuation orders for roughly 31,000 people, including residents of Castaic.
Although they were located within that evacuation zone, a lack of operational buses made evacuating the 4,700 inmates at the jail complex difficult, if not impossible, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Instead, a shelter-in-place order was issued and about 480 inmates at the Pitchess Detention Center were moved from a barracks-style facility to a sturdier concrete structure within the same complex, the Times stated.
As the flames continued to spread, the L.A. County Public Defenders Union issued a statement calling for the immediate evacuation of the detention center.
“We are deeply alarmed by the imminent risk this disaster poses to the health and safety of our clients,” a post on X read. “They must not be neglected or abandoned during this critical moment.”
Shortly before 11 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced they were prepared to keep inmates safe from fire and posted images of buses, apparently on stand-by in case evacuations were necessary.
“If one of your loved ones is incarcerated at Pitchess Detention Center, don’t worry, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department stands poised and ready to keep them safe from the Hughes Fire,” a post on the @LASDHQ X feed stated just before 11 p.m.
As of 6:42 a.m. Thursday, the Hughes Fire had scorched 10,176 Acres and was 14% contained. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
