By Signal Staff  A new wind-swept brush fire erupted in Sylmar shortly before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, quickly burning at least 500 acres, forcing freeway shutdowns and prompting evacuation orders affecting more than 40,000 people in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys.  When the fire first broke out, immediate evacuation orders were issued north of Interstate 210 from Roxford Street to the Interstate 5/State Route 14 split in the Newhall Pass.  Those evacuation orders for the Hurst Fire were soon expanded to include some southern portions of the Santa Clarita Valley. By about midnight, new voluntary evacuation orders were also being ordered west of I-5 and in the northern San Fernando Valley, along the State Route 118 corridor.  “Hurst IC – Sylmar – area of 210 fwy between the 5 and Roxford – fire is about 100 acres with structures threatened. Mandatory evacs for 4 zones in Santa Clarita (Newhall Pass, Wildwood, Eternal, and Calgrove) and in unincorporated areas,” the city of Santa Clarita posted on its official X account shortly after midnight Wednesday morning.  By 2 a.m., those evacuation orders were clarified to be evacuation warnings rather than mandatory evacuations.  At approximately 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of resources to suppress the Hurst Fire.  “The Hurst Fire, which started at 10:25 p.m. Tuesday near Diamond Road in Sylmar, has burned more than 500 acres and has prompted evacuation orders for more than 44,000 people and evacuation warnings for 27,000, with 40,000 structures threatened,” said a news release issued by the governor’s office shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.  The blaze resulted in closures of Foothill Boulevard and Interstate 5 in the Newhall Pass, as well as the 210 freeway in Sylmar.   As of 10:40 p.m., a full brush response was requested and evacuations were under way. The city of Los Angeles Fire Department reported a rapid rate of spread.  “Crew on scene reports 50 acres, with a rapid rate of spread. Moving towards the I-5 and 14 split. Crews going to start evacuations in Sylmar per radio traffic,” reported the Watch Duty app shortly after the fire broke out.  The Angeles National Forest posted on X that the fire started on Yarnell Street, near the Olive View Medical Center, and grew quickly.   “Fire is approx. 100 acres and has jumped the freeway,” the ANF account reported on X before midnight.  Cal Fire posted on its incident page for the fire: “The Hurst Fire is spreading rapidly under high winds, creating dangerous conditions for nearby communities. Fire crews are working tirelessly to contain the fire and protect critical infrastructure as it threatens homes and other structures. The combination of dry fuels, strong winds, and low humidity is contributing to aggressive fire behavior, making containment efforts extremely challenging. Residents are urged to remain vigilant and follow directives from local authorities as the situation evolves.”  This is the #HurstFire seen just a block from the 210 Freeway on Yarnell St in #Sylmar. Winds are extreme throwing embers across the freeway. People an horses evacuating from the neighborhood @kcalnews pic.twitter.com/HkjFmaaUhm— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) January 8, 2025 To view the Los Angeles Fire Department evacuation map, go to https://lafd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Media/index.html?appid=0c7dd4c212b14e0d9de09c96773a8c6a To view the Genasys evacuation map, including specific zones, go to https://protect.genasys.com/zones/US-CA-XLA-LAC-E132-A?z=13.052777119907681&latlon=34.32570149359657%2C-118.51220265973183 To view Cal Fire’s incident map for the Hurst Fire, go to https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/hurst-fire. This is a breaking news story and additional information will be added as it becomes available.  The post Hurst Fire: Evacuations ordered in Newhall Pass, southern SCV  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.