Officials issued evacuation orders in and around the Castaic Lake area. Evacuation warnings border Santa Clarita, one residential area closest to the fire.

Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.

Firefighters gained more ground Thursday on a fast-moving brushfire that erupted north of Los Angeles the day before and within hours exploded to thousands of acres amid high winds, officials said.