NATION
# San Diego blazes erupt; progress made on raging Hughes Fire: Wildfire updates
  USA TODAY!
*Editor's note: This file captures the news of the California wildfires from Thursday, Jan. 23. For the latest updates on the , follow .*
SAN DIEGO − Firefighters on Thursday battled a  that closed schools and forced  and two new fires near San Diego amid relentless Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions that have kept Southern California on high alert for over two weeks.
At one point, evacuation orders and warnings were issued Thursday afternoon for residents around La Jolla, about 12 miles northwest of San Diego, as the Gilman Fire threatened the wealthy coastside community. But the orders were lifted a few hours later. The blaze had only burned two acres as of 3:46 p.m. PT, .
Farther southeast, firefighters also responded to a brush fire in the Otay Wilderness Area, not far from the border with Mexico. The Border Fire had a "dangerous rate'' of spread and had charred 228 acres with zero containment, according to .
On Wednesday, the  erupted Wednesday near Castaic Lake, a reservoir roughly 45 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The fire rapidly consumed over 10,000 acres as authorities warned of an "immediate threat to life."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that more than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings. But Thursday morning, the evacuation instructions for dozens of LA County zones were lifted or downgraded as . In Ventura County, the warnings .
Fire officials also said containment of the blaze had increased from 14% earlier in the day  while the burnt acreage remained steady at 10,176.
Another brush fire broke out late Wednesday along the eastern side of Interstate 405 near Bel Air and the University of California-Los Angeles. The blaze, dubbed the Sepulveda Fire, initially prompted evacuation warnings, but those have been lifted as firefighters contained its spread to about 40 acres. The Los Angeles Fire Department said no structures were damaged in the blaze and that firefighters were working overnight to "fully extinguish the fire and any hot spots."
Over 1,100 firefighters had been “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address the "ongoing critical fire weather," according to Cal Fire. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said more than 4,000 firefighters were battling the Hughes Fire. Red flag warnings are in effect through Friday.
A series of wildfires have broken out since Jan. 7 amid ongoing high winds, low humidity and drought conditions. Fire crews across the region have quickly worked to extinguish smaller brush fires while making progress on the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures and have killed at least 28 people, Cal Fire said. They're now 75% and 95% contained, respectively.
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## 'Extreme fire behavior' complicates crews' battle against Hughes Fire
Firefighters in northern Los Angeles County forged ahead in their effort to tamp down the Hughes Fire, establishing control lines to stop the blaze from expanding into populated areas.
Overnight, crews were challenged by "extreme fire behavior, terrain, and weather,"  "They kept the fire from spreading to Elderberry Canyon, the Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant and surrounding communities."
Cal Fire said firefighters are focusing Thursday on holding the fire in its current footprint and additional personnel were being staged within the unincorporated community of Castaic.
"Today firefighters expect extreme fire behavior and will aggressively fight the blaze day and night with support from aircraft," the operational update said.
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## Why are these fires spreading so quickly?
The above-average rain totals in Southern California during the previous two wet seasons would seem like a boon for a region with recurring droughts. In reality, they helped set the conditions for .
The vegetation that bloomed thanks to that abundant rain dried out over the last nine months, when the Los Angeles area received virtually no precipitation amid intense heat. Paired with low humidity and the fearful Santa Ana winds that are common this time of year, any spark would result in an intense, quickly expanding inferno.
The latest example is the Hughes Fire, which grew by an astonishing 10,000 acres in a matter of hours Wednesday about 45 miles north of Los Angeles.
"You've got a lot of these light grasses where these fires can start, and if it gets into that old growth vegetation there's a lot of energy there,'' L.A. County Fire public information officer Fred Fielding said. "Combine that with the winds, and you've got a recipe for a very high rate of spread."
*− Doyle Rice*
## Weekend rain in California threatens new dangers: Mudslides, 'toxic runoff'
Much-needed rain is expected in drought-stricken and  this weekend, weather officials said, but with it comes the threat of mudslides and a new set of problems.
"Just about every location in coastal Southern California, as well as the Southern California mountains, should get in on some showers this weekend," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Houk said in an  Wednesday.
A 60% to 80% chance of thunderstorms is anticipated in the area beginning Saturday, along with up to 2 inches of rain, Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service's office for Los Angeles, told USA TODAY. The National Weather Service said isolated heavy rain in some spots could result in debris flowing over burn scars left by the fires.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to hasten cleanup efforts and prevent fire-related debris from flowing into waterways and the city's stormwater system. Bass'  hopes "to shore up burn areas and stem the flow of toxic debris" and "prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff."
*– Terry Collins*
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## School districts announce closures Thursday as Hughes Fire burns
Several school districts in northern Los Angeles County canceled classes Thursday as the Hughes Fire engulfed thousands of acres of land and produced large plumes of smoke and ash.
The Castaic Union School District closed all of its schools. The William S. Hart Union High School District, which serves 21,000 students in the Santa Clarita Valley, closed multiple schools near the blaze, including Castaic, Valencia and Rio Norte junior high schools.
"We will continue to work with fire officials to monitor the situation," the school district said in a statement. "We will also be monitoring air quality and adjusting activities as necessary."
Saugus Union Elementary School District announced three schools and the district office would be closed Thursday since they are in mandatory evacuation zones or under evacuation warnings.
## California wildfires: Latest containment numbers
Below are the current containment levels of the fires burning in the Los Angeles area:
* Palisades Fire – 23,448 acres; 75% containment
* Eaton Fire – 14,021 acres; 95% containment
* Hughes Fire – 10,396 acres; 36% containment
* Laguna Fire − 50 acres, 70% containment
Ventura County authorities said the Laguna Fire's forward progress was stopped at 50 acres around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and 200 firefighters were trying to increase containment. The evacuation order for Cal State University Channel Islands was downgraded to a warning.
## Red flag warnings extended for Los Angeles-area through Friday
The National Weather Service expects "dangerous fire weather conditions" to last through at least Friday across Los Angeles and Ventura counties as firefighters battle multiple blazes throughout the region.
Forecasters said "fuels remain extremely dry" and strong Santa Ana winds will continue to be a persistent threat. "If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth, which would threaten life and property," the weather service said.
Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected with some stronger gusts up to 50 mph possible at higher elevations. The winds will gradually lessen in intensity Thursday night and into Friday, the weather service said.
## Sepulveda Fire temporarily shuts down portion of I-405 in Los Angeles
The Sepulveda Fire broke out late Wednesday near Bel-Air, forcing officials to temporarily close the southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway just north of the Getty Center museum.
The freeway was reopened in a matter of hours as firefighters gained a foothold on the new brush fire, prompting evacuation orders to be lifted. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it stopped the forward progress of the blaze and no structures were damaged by the fire.
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# 'Terrifying': Monterey County declares emergency after massive lithium battery plant fire
## The massive blaze that began a week ago forced the evacuation of 1,200 residents before it burned itself out. Now residents are worried about safe cleanup and what the future holds.
 USA TODAY NETWORK!
A state of emergency has been declared in Monterey County on California's scenic Central Coast over a major fire at a battery plant.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors ratified the emergency during a  about the fire at Vistra Energy's Moss Landing Power Plant in the unincorporated community of Moss Landing. The proclamation was first issued by the county's administrative officer when the fire  and clears the way for the county to ask for state and federal assistance.
The fire, which was left to burn, , according to fire officials, and small pockets of heat at the facility would continue to be monitored using drones,  − part of the USA TODAY Network.
The fire at the plant, a 300-megawatt lithium storage facility, destroyed most of the building and its contents, according to county fire officials. The storage facility is a part of a natural gas-powered electricity plant operated by Vistra Energy, a Texas company. The facility also has a battery storage station owned by PG&E.
Evacuation orders for approximately 1,200 residents near the plant , though some road closures remain in place.
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## EPA, county says there was no risk to public health
The Environmental Protection Agency concluded supplemental air-monitoring in the vicinity of the Vistra Energy storage facility on Monday and said in a statement that there was, "no risk to public health throughout the incident."
The EPA began monitoring for hydrogen fluoride, a highly toxic gas produced by lithium-ion battery fires, and for particulate matter on Saturday, according to the county’s timeline.
“We remain fairly confident that there was no adverse impact associated with emissions from the plant fire, we did not do speciation of chemicals found because that would be a pretty exhaustive and expensive process to do," Richard Stedman, air pollution control officer from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, said at the meeting.
Residents near the fire and in communities just outside the evacuation zone requested further testing of soil and water on Tuesday and shared personal stories of health symptoms, including respiratory issues and a metallic taste.
## Community members, officials express concerns over safety
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, members of the public voiced their concerns and demanded answers from county officials, saying they wanted officials to ensure cleanup was done properly and hazardous chemicals were not allowed to run offsite and seep into the neighboring environment.
Ed Mitchell spoke for a newly formed community group called the Moss Landing Fire Community Recovery Group, which came together after 160 residents gathered at , a volunteer organization in Monterrey County, on Monday.
Mitchell told the supervisors that North County residents appreciate the actions of first responders and called lithium batteries a "thrilling" new technology but “a technology that when it goes wrong, it’s not thrilling, it’s terrifying.”
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said during the meeting, , that "this technology is ahead of the government's ability to regulate it. And the industry's ability to control it."
Church called for the facility to stay closed until an independent investigation determines the cause of the incident, CBS News reported.
***What the wildfires mean for you:  for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter for more weather news.***
# A 13-year-old was brutally murdered. 2 teen girls have been arrested in connection to her death.
## Officials said the 13-year-old was found with severe trauma to her head, face and body.
USA TODAY!
Two teenage girls were arrested this week in connection to the death probe of a 13-year-old in South Carolina, authorities say.
The victim, identified as Ka'Niyah Baker, was reported missing on Jan. 12, police said. Her body was found in a following a fire in the Capital Heights neighborhood a few days later, police said.
“Brutal, heinous, vicious, gruesome, monstrous and disturbing," Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at a . "These are the words I use to describe this murder investigation."
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said the identifying process was difficult because the victim suffered severe trauma to her head, face, and body. They used DNA from her clothing from her foster home and dental records to confirm her identity.
Rutherford added that Baker was "bludgeoned, stabbed, and burned." The incident is under investigation.
**Ka'Niyah Baker case:**
## Case highlights tragic impact of trauma on children
One of the suspects − described as a 16-year-old − was reported missing on Jan. 12 and has "a history of disorderly conduct, malicious injury, throwing bodily fluids," Holbrook said.
She was wanted by the Department of Juvenile Justice due to cutting off her ankle monitor. The second teen arrested was a 15-year-old girl. Both suspects have been classified as frequent runaways and high school dropouts.
According to WIS, officials are pushing to  Speaking to USA TODAY, University of South Carolina Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Hayden Smith said  for all three girls involved. He said rising youth violence is tied to children’s environments and social determinants of health, such as access to stable housing and education.
“Even beyond a traumatic event like this, for the group of people who are exposed to these adverse childhood experiences, they tend to last a lifetime, unless you can counterbalance with resiliency, certain skills, stability, and positive experiences,” Smith said.
*Contributing: Rachel Hale, USA TODAY*
*Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.*
*This story was updated to add a video.*