The Hughes Fire in Castaic area has burned more than 9,400 acres in just hours. While Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone called it a "difficult fire," he said that crews are "getting the upper hand on containing the blaze."
The Hughes Fire grew to 10,176 acres and was 14% contained as of Thursday morning. Nearly 56,000 residents remain under evacuation orders and warnings, while several schools in the fire zones were closed.
The Hughes Fire has now burned 8,096 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since igniting late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. More than 24,00 people have been ordered to evacuate due to the Hughes Fire. Another 30,000 people are in evacuation warning zones.
Santa Clarita, the area affected by the Hughes Fire, is a densely populated community predominantly comprising workers and middle-class families.
Original: A brush fire erupted in Castaic, sending smoke over the Santa Clarita Valley. Around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, first responders received reports of a brush fire on Lake Hughes Road north of Castaic Lake, according to officials. The fire is currently at 50+ acres. Smoke from the fire is visible throughout Santa Clarita.
LA County Sheriff says about 31,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders while another 23,000 were under evacuation warnings.
The Hughes Fire was first reported shortly after 10:30 a.m. along Lake Hughes Road, near Castaic Lake and the 5 Freeway, according to Cal Fire.
Zones highlighters are under evacuation orders and warnings in Southern California, according to Cal Fire. There are no evacuation orders in place now for the Eaton and Sepulveda Fires in LA County or the Clay Fire in Riverside County.
A fast-moving wildfire exploded to roughly 10,200 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday morning, prompting mandatory evacuation orders and road closures, authorities said.
The fire first broke out around 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, rapidly spreading from 500 acres within its first hour to 3,400 acres less than 2 hours after.
The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for much of Southern California, highlighting the dangerous fire weather conditions. These warnings are coupled with High Wind Warnings, as Santa Ana winds are forecast to gust between 60 and 70 mph, increasing the potential for rapid fire spread.